LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Leader of the House how many special advisers  (a) he and  (b) the Parliamentary Secretary (i) has appointed and (ii) plans to appoint.

George Young: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official R eport, column 99W.

European Union: Parliamentary Scrutiny

William Cash: To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on compliance by Ministers with the terms of the Resolution of the House of 17 November 1998 on the scrutiny of European business, with particular reference to agreements given in  (a) the Council of Ministers and  (b) the European Council to any proposals which are still subject to scrutiny by the House under the terms of the Resolution; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that the House is notified of the Government's position on proposals still subject to scrutiny, with particular reference to (i) the decision of the extraordinary meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) of 9 May 2010 in respect of EU Document 9606/10, proposed Council Regulation establishing a European financial stabilisation mechanism, (ii) the decision at the ECOFIN meeting of 18 May 2010 in respect of EU Document 6795/3/10, proposed Directive on Alternative Investment Fund Managers and (iii) the Commission Communication of 26 May 2010, COM(2010) 254, on bank resolution funds; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: I have had no discussions about the specific documents to which the hon. Gentleman refers. The Government are committed to complying with the terms of the House's Scrutiny Reserve Resolution and look forward to working closely and constructively with the European Scrutiny Committee when it is established.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

David Winnick: To ask the Leader of the House if he will discuss with the Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA)  (a) the further requirements for documentary evidence IPSA required from hon. Members in support of their claims and  (b) the basis for the assumption by IPSA that the costs incurred in claims so submitted are being met by another until demonstrated otherwise.

George Young: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W. There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Iain Wright: To ask the Leader of the House who provides the  (a) external audit and  (b) internal audit functions for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

George Young: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr Winnick) on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W. There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Members: Allowances

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to end the payment of allowances to hon. Members who do not take their seats.

George Young: The payment of allowances to hon. Members is now a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr Winnick) on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W. There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Members: Security

Bob Russell: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals for funding from the public purse for hon. and right hon. Members to provide such security measures at their constituency offices as police forces may advise; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: The payment of allowances to hon. Members is now a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr Winnick) on Wednesday 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W. There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Members: Security

Bob Russell: To ask the Leader of the House if he will discuss with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority the provision of funding for security measures at constituency offices of hon. and right hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

George Young: The payment of allowances to hon. Members is now a matter for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 45W to the hon. Member for Walsall North (Mr Winnick). There is no ministerial responsibility for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Parliamentary Questions

Tom Watson: To ask the Leader of the House if he will review his advice to Ministers on responses to parliamentary questions to take into account the determination of the Information Commissioner on the application of commercial confidentiality criteria to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (reference FS 50688016); and if he will make a statement.

George Young: Individual answers are a matter for the relevant Minister. Guidance issued on the Cabinet Office website suggests that commercial confidentiality may be a reason for not providing information in response to a written question. While requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and written parliamentary questions are different, we do however advise that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public.
	The hon. Gentleman may wish to write to me with further information on the issue that he raises.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office paid 99.7% of invoices from suppliers within 10 days of receipt in March 2010 and 98.2% in April 2010.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

David Mundell: There are no plasma or LCD televisions in ministerial offices.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

David Mundell: Information on staff numbers, including numbers of staff working in Private Office, is published routinely in the Office's Annual Report, copies of which are in the House Library. One member of staff is a member of the Senior Civil Service and the others range between the equivalent of Senior Executive Officer down to Executive Officer level.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office keep its staffing complement under constant review to ensure that the most efficient use is made of public resources. It has made not made any recent decisions to reduce staff numbers.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers  (a) he,  (b) the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and  (c) the Advocate-General (i) has appointed and (ii) plans to appoint.

David Mundell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Official Hospitality

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what budget his Department has allocated for entertainment, including alcohol, in each of the next three years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not separately record entertainment costs, including alcohol. Any such costs will be met from within the Office's hospitality budget. The budget for future years will be calculated once the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review is announced.
	All expenditure incurred is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

David Mundell: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to consult trade unions in his Department concerning deficit reduction plans.

David Mundell: Any deficit reduction plans which affect staff will be shared with staff and the relevant trade unions, as appropriate.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carers' Benefits

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to amend the regimes affecting  (a) benefits and  (b) other assistance provided by his Department for carers.

Maria Miller: The Government recognise that the UK's 6 million carers play an indispensable role in looking after friends or family members who need support. We also acknowledge the important role that both cash benefits and employment assistance play, especially in enabling many carers to combine care giving with paid employment.
	We have set out our commitment to simplify the benefit system in order to improve work incentives and encourage responsibility and fairness. We will consider carefully the needs of carers as we develop our thinking on welfare reform. Additionally, over the coming months we will be considering the services that Jobcentre Plus currently provide for carers along with other issues affecting their daily lives such as flexible working.

Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.

Maria Miller: The Government are committed to supporting families, ending child poverty and encouraging, where possible, shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy. For families where both parents do not live together, helping to deliver financial support is an important part of achieving these broader objectives. The 2010-11 business plan for CMEC sets out their role in this process.
	http://www.childmaintenance.org/en/pdf/Business-Plan-2010.pdf
	Detailed future plans are subject to review, along with all areas of Government expenditure.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Future Jobs Fund: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Bristol East constituency have received assistance from the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is not available.

Poverty: Children

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward proposals to seek to eliminate child poverty in the lifetime of this Parliament.

Maria Miller: Section 14 of the Coalition document confirms the Government's commitment to ending child poverty in the UK.
	The Child Poverty Act commits Government to meeting targets towards ending child poverty by 2020. The Government must also publish a strategy to show how they will meet these targets by March 2011.
	The latest figures (2008-09) show that 2.8 million children remain in poverty, well off the target set by the previous Government of reducing this to 1.7 million by 2010-11. It is important that over the next 12 months a robust strategy be put in place to put the 2020 commitment back on track. In doing so we will want to listen to and consult a wide range of bodies.
	We believe that the best way to tackle this issue is to address the root causes of poverty. It is only by doing this that we can effectively improve the outcomes for children in a sustainable way.

Unemployment Benefits: Medical Examinations

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria must be met before an individual may be judged medically unfit for work; and under what circumstances an individual may be deemed unable to work again.

Chris Grayling: Eligibility for employment and support allowance is assessed using the work capability assessment. The work capability assessment focuses on the functional effects of an individual's condition on their physical and mental capabilities, rather than on the condition itself. The criteria are set out in Parts 5, 6 and Schedules 2 and 3 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (SI 2008 No. 794).
	It is important that we move away from previous practices of parking people on this benefit, so anyone getting employment and support allowance will have a new assessment if and when their individual circumstances and functional abilities are expected to have changed. If at this point the decision-maker determines that they no longer meet the eligibility criteria, they will be found fit for work.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission with reference to the Answer of 6 May 2009,  Official Report, columns 222-3W, on the electoral register, which electoral registration officers identified themselves as below the standard for using information sources to verify entries on the register of electors and identify potential new electors.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that in 2008, 18 Electoral Registration Officers were below performance standard 1, 'Using information sources to verify entries on the register of electors and identify potential new electors'.
	The Commission further informs me that in 2009, three Electoral Registration Officers were below the same performance standard.
	The relevant officers are listed by local authority as follows.
	 EROs below Performance Standard 1
	 2008
	Barnsley
	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	Blaby
	Blackburn with Darwen
	Brentwood
	Chester-le-street(1)
	Durham(1)
	Harborough
	Ipswich
	North East Derbyshire
	North Lanarkshire(2)
	Nottingham
	Sutton
	South Lanarkshire(2)
	Three Rivers
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Weymouth and Portland
	Walsall
	 2009
	Bradford
	Nottingham
	Sefton
	(1) Chester-le Street and Durham are now part of County Durham unitary authority.
	(2) North and South Lanarkshire are covered by one ERO.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, in which local authorities electoral registration officers have declared themselves to be underperforming in one or more areas of electoral registration.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that in 2008, 297 Electoral Registration Officers were below at least one performance standard. In 2009, 185 Electoral Registration Officers were below at least one performance standard. A list of the Electoral Registration Officers by local authority has been placed in the Library.
	More information about Electoral Registration Officers' performance against the standards can be found at:
	http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/results_and_analysis

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how much each local authority spent per elector on electoral registration in the last year for which figures are available.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has placed a document in the Library which shows local authority spending per elector on electoral registration for the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09, where the information is available.
	The Commission further informs me that it has published full financial data for each local authority in Great Britain, covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years. The information can be found on the Commission's website:
	www.electoralcommission.org.uk/performance-standards/financial-information
	The Commission is collecting information for the financial year 2009-10, which will be published on its website next year.

General Election 2010: Young People

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what recent estimate the Electoral Commission has made of the number and proportion of people aged 18 to 24 who voted in the last general election.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has made no such estimate. However, Ipsos MORI estimate that 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted in the last general election.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Health Services

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets have been set for the recruitment of armed forces medical personnel.

Andrew Robathan: Figures for the medical trades/corps for which recruitment targets have been set are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Royal Navy 
			   Financial year 2010-11 
			  Officers  
			 Queen Alexandra Royal Navy Nursing Service 5 
			 Environmental health officer 2 
			 Doctors 19 
			 Dentists 3 
			   
			  Ratings  
			 Naval nurse (qualified) 11 
			 Naval nurse (student) 4 
			 Medical assistant 32 
			 Medical assistant (submarines) 7 
			 Dental surgery assistant 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Army officers 
			   Financial year 
			   2010  2011 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 70 70 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 3 3 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 12 12 
			 Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps 24 24 
		
	
	
		
			  Soldiers 
			   Financial year 2010-11 
			 Combat medical technician 140 
			 Environmental health technician 2 
			 Biomedical scientist 3 
			 Operating department practitioner 3 
			 Pharmaceutical technician 1 
			 Dog trainer 20 
			 Veterinary technician 1 
			 Dental support specialist 5 
			 Registered Nurse adult health 31 
			 Registered Nurse mental health 0 
			 Health Care Assistant 8 
		
	
	
		
			  RAF 
			   Financial year 2010-11 
			 Medical Officer 33 
			 Dental Officer 4 
			 Nursing Officer 16 
			 Registered Nurses 14 
			 Student Nurses 12 
			 Physiotherapist 14

Armed Forces: Health Services

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 29 March 2010,  Official Report, column 639W, on "Armed Forces: Health Services", whether the analysis of the extent to which armed forces medical personnel are in breach of the single service harmony guidelines is  (a) complete and  (b) available.

Andrew Robathan: More comprehensive data on medical personnel in breach of individual Service harmony guidelines are now available and are shown in the following tables. However, this information is not available against individual medical trades in the Army. Investigations on whether this will be possible given the nature of the data are ongoing.
	 Royal Navy
	
		
			  Branch/Trade  Personnel over Royal Navy harmony guidelines (%) 
			 Dental hygienists 1 
			 Medical assistant 1 
			  Note: Data covers 36 month period up to 1 April 2010. 
		
	
	 Army
	The following table details the number and proportion of Army personnel within the Royal Army Medial Corps and the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corps Arms/Services that breach the Individual Harmony Guidelines.
	
		
			  Arm/Service  Personnel over Army harmony guidelines (%) 
			 RAMC 7 
			 QARANC 5 
			  Note: The statistics relate only to trained regular officers and soldiers as at 1 January 2010. 
		
	
	It should be noted that, because some personnel do not record the reason for their separated service on the JPA system, the above figures may not capture all personnel over harmony guidelines.
	 RAF
	
		
			  Branch/Trade  Personnel over RAF harmony guidelines (%) 
			 Medical Officer 5 
			 Nursing Officer 7 
			 Medical Support Officer 9 
			 RAF Medic 4 
			 Nurse 4 
			  Note: Data derived from statistics for 1 January 2010.

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what powers the  (a) Ministry of Defence Police and  (b) Royal Military Police have in respect of responding to criminal and antisocial behaviour involving civilians living in or visiting former Ministry of Defence housing at the Colchester Garrison; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Essex police lead on investigating criminal offences at Colchester garrison as they do across the country. As the Ministry of Defence police have full constabulary powers they can, at the request of Essex police, investigate crimes and antisocial behaviour. The Royal Military Police jurisdiction is limited to offences committed by service personnel.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) the Royal Air Force,  (b) the Royal Navy and  (c) the Army spent on recruitment in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The total recruitment spend for the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Army in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Financial year 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Royal Navy - - 34.80 36.39 36.86 
			 Army 86.40 86.50 108.90 129.60 129.60 
			 RAF 37.14 38.49 41.43 55.43 52.18 
			  Note: Figures for Royal Navy spend can only be provided for the last three years due to difficulties in recalling data from historic records. 
		
	
	The total spend is made up by the following: manpower (military and civilian wages), marketing, recruiting incentives, recruitment vehicles and fuel, equipment support, rent, infrastructure, utilities and depreciation (costs for recruiting offices etc.) and the IT system used during the application process.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on recruitment advertisements in national and local media in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The majority of advertising conducted by the Ministry of Defence is targeted at the recruitment of personnel to the armed forces and civil service. In addition, the Department may promote other initiatives such as Armed Forces Day.
	The data are not held or listed against country as requested, but represent UK-wide activity. Information for 2009-10 is not yet available.
	
		
			  Advertising spend 
			  £ million 
			   Print (press and poster)  Online and interactive TV  TV  and cinema  Radio 
			 2004-05 2.0 0.8 15.9 2.3 
			 2005-06 2.5 1.6 15.2 2.2 
			 2006-07 2.0 2.3 10.1 1.3 
			 2007-08 3.7 3.0 18.7 1.6 
			 2008-09 4.9 4.6 17.4 1.5

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The arrangements for delivering maritime operational support through the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been under review since the end of last year. This work has not yet been completed and may in any case be affected by the Strategic Defence and Security Review. It would be premature to speculate about its outcome at this stage.

Trident

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether plans for the replacement of Trident will be included in the Strategic Defence Review.

Liam Fox: Both the value for money review of the Trident programme and the re-examination of the UK's declaratory nuclear policy will be conducted within the framework of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

WALES

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of invoices from suppliers to her Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: In March and April 2010 respectively, 98.8% and 95.6% of invoices were paid by the Wales Office within ten days.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in her Department.

David Jones: None.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in her Department.

Cheryl Gillan: There are currently 3.63 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in my office and 3.0 FTE in the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's office. The following table shows a breakdown of the FTEs by grade:
	
		
			  Number 
			  Grade  SofS office  PUSS office  Total 
			 Senior Civil Service 1.0 - 1.0 
			 Senior Executive Officer - 1.0 1.0 
			 Executive Officer 2.0 2.0 3.0 
			 Admin Officer 0.63 - 0.63 
			 Total 3.63 3.0 5.63

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Ministers in her Department have been issued with  (a) a Blackberry,  (b) an iPhone,  (c) another make of mobile telephone and  (d) a personal digital assistant supplied by the Department.

David Jones: Both the Secretary of State and I have been issued with a standard mobile telephone.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in her Department.

Cheryl Gillan: The current interim arrangements for The Wales Office are  (a) three cars and  (b) two drivers allocated to departmental Ministers. Two cars are in London and one is in Cardiff. This is supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed."
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when and in what form she plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by her Department over £25,000.

Cheryl Gillan: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers(1) reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.
	(1) http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/statements-and-articles/2010/05/letter-to-government-ng-up-data-51204

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department allocated for potential disallowances and penalties for claims made against the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years.

James Paice: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The following financial provisions were created in the Department's annual accounts in each of the last five years for potential disallowances and late payment penalties arising from the Rural Payments Agency's administration of CAP schemes. These provision figures represent the Department's estimate of what disallowance was expected to arise in future years. In most cases the actual amounts are only known several years later. Please note that the following figure for the 2009-10 financial year has not yet been audited by the National Audit Office.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2005-06 115,750 
			 2006-07 197,812 
			 2007-08 -15,000(1) 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 58,383 
			 (1) The reduction in 2007-08 was due to a reassessment of potential disallowance upon receipt of further information from the EC.

Biofuels

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on increasing the number of anaerobic digestion facilities for the production of biogas.

Richard Benyon: We will introduce measures to promote a large increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion. Central to this will be work to facilitate an increase in the number of anaerobic digestion facilities producing biogas from waste.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of culling badgers as a means of controlling TB in cattle; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The Government have committed that, as part of a package of measures, we will introduce a carefully-managed and science-led policy of badger control in areas with high and persistent levels of bovine TB.
	We need to consider all the issues carefully, including the scientific evidence, to work out the detail of the package to ensure we get it right. We will be looking at vaccine and culling options as part of that package.

Cattle: Animal Welfare

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to  (a) set standards for welfare in cows and  (b) prohibit the factory farming of dairy cows; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: The welfare of livestock, including cows, is protected by the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. There are codes of recommendations published on the DEFRA website which farmers are required by law to have access to, and be familiar with, which encourage high standards of husbandry. Enforcement action can be taken against farmers who do not comply with this legislation.
	The Government welcome innovative and entrepreneurial efforts by dairy farmers to improve their global competitiveness, while protecting the environment and meeting animal welfare standards. All dairy cattle, in whatever system they are kept, are protected by comprehensive animal welfare legislation in England. It is important to recognise that poor welfare can occur in both intensive and extensive systems, and the most significant influence on the welfare of livestock is the stock-keeper, not the system in which it is reared.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in her Department and its agencies.

Richard Benyon: The Chancellor's statement about savings of £6.2 billion across the public sector outlined that DEFRA and its arm's length bodies would contribute to £162 million of this saving. As a Department we have identified some specific areas where savings will be achieved in addition to the efficiencies being implemented across the Civil Service.
	At present, no decisions have been taken on reductions in the numbers of staff. It is therefore not possible to make an estimate of the cost. Any staff reductions will be made in line with business need and with a view to providing value for money.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many special advisers  (a) she and  (b) each named Minister in her Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments she has made since her appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Richard Benyon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in her Department.

Richard Benyon: Under the arrangements inherited from Ministers in the previous Government, the current interim arrangements for DEFRA are  (a) two cars and  (b) two drivers allocated to departmental Ministers, supplemented by the use of pool cars if needed.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that "the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	DEFRA Ministers have decided not to have allocated cars and drivers. DEFRA is working with the Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under her Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by her Department.

Richard Benyon: Our plans for achieving the Department's share of the £6 billion savings announced by the Chancellor on 24 May 2010 will not, as far as we are aware, raise the issue of meeting any such claims.

Flood Control

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she  (a) has had and  (b) plans to have with (i) the Environment Agency and (ii) other flood partners on (A) the recommendations of the Pitt Review and (B) the provisions of section 14 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 on the sharing of information with local authorities and local flooding working groups.

Richard Benyon: Ministers have had initial discussions with the Environment Agency and are starting to meet others with an interest in flood and coastal erosion risk management. Officials have regular discussions with the Environment Agency, local authorities and others about the Pitt Review recommendations and the Flood and Water Management Act.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to bring forward proposals to require incinerator operators to install continuous emission monitoring systems for the detection of dioxins and heavy metals including mercury in flue gas emissions.

Richard Benyon: Monitoring requirements for waste incinerators are set out in the Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC). They are implemented in England and Wales by the Environment Agency or-for very small incinerators-local authorities through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010.
	Proposals for detailed changes to EU requirements have come from other countries during the negotiation of the proposed industrial emissions directive, now approaching Second Reading in the European Parliament. It is not yet clear whether these will be incorporated in the finalised directive and become binding upon member states.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the merits of alternatives to mass burn incineration; and whether she plans to provide assistance to local authorities to implement alternative schemes;
	(2)  what her most recent assessment is of the level of efficiency of energy generation from  (a) mass-burn incinerators and  (b) alternative forms of energy generating waste disposal facilities including anaerobic digesters.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA and DECC are jointly leading a cross-Government Energy from Waste (EfW) project that will report towards the end of the year. This will produce a clear policy framework through which the most environmentally, socially and economically beneficial outcomes can be achieved. The project will consider the range of technologies and waste feedstocks and recommend which feedstocks are suitable to produce EfW, and which technologies are best for individual waste feedstocks.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has made a recent assessment of the cost of building new mass burn incineration facilities.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA funds the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which performs an annual survey to assess gate fees charged for a range of alternative options in the treatment and disposal of waste, including incineration plants. Further details can be found on WRAP'S website:
	www.wrap.org.uk
	Construction costs for Energy from Waste (EfW) plants (incinerators) are project-specific dependent on size, specification and location of plant; and timing relative to external events like exchange rate movements and the availability and cost of finance.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she for the future number of mass-burn incineration facilities.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities have the responsibility for deciding how waste is managed in their respective areas. The choice of technology must reflect local circumstances, which will vary, and it is important that any plans for Energy from Waste facilities emerge out of local waste strategies to ensure the optimisation of reuse, recycling and composting activities.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department plans to increase the level of reduction, re-use and recycling of municipal solid waste for the purpose of minimising the amount of such waste which is sent for incineration or landfill.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities are responsible for the management of waste disposal in their areas and they are encouraged to follow the waste hierarchy, in which energy from waste ranks higher than landfill but below waste prevention, re-use, and recycling.

Incinerators

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on mass-burn incineration of municipal solid waste.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working to manage waste as far up the waste hierarchy as possible-with energy from waste ranking higher than landfill but below waste prevention, re-use, and recycling.
	There will always be some waste streams that cannot be re-used, recycled or composted and recovering energy from that waste, including by incineration, results in reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to the alternative of landfill. Recovering energy from waste is complementary to, and will not displace, waste reduction methods further up the waste hierarchy.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to consult trade unions in  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies on cost reduction plans.

Richard Benyon: It is standard practice to consult the Department's trade unions on all matters concerning the contractual terms and conditions of its employees.
	DEFRA, including its agencies, will use its existing consultation processes to discuss future deficit reduction plans with our trade unions.

Water Charges

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the recommendations of the Walker Review of charging for household water and sewerage services he plans to implement.

Richard Benyon: Ministers will consider the recommendations made in the Walker Review ahead of taking decisions around implementation.

Water Charges

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the WaterSure system in protecting vulnerable water customers.

Richard Benyon: The Walker Review of charging for household water and sewerage services examined the WaterSure scheme. Ministers will consider the conclusions of the Walker Review, including the recommendations regarding WaterSure, and respond to them in due course.

Whales: Conservation

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take in respect of the possible end to the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on whaling.

Richard Benyon: This Government oppose the resumption of commercial whaling, and protecting the moratorium on commercial whaling is of great importance. We will strive to ensure long-term protection and conservation of whale populations worldwide, and are taking every opportunity to build strong support for a continuation of the moratorium, including raising this matter with Ministers in Europe.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the report of the Saville Inquiry to be published; and if he will ensure that the cost to the public purse of all expenditure in relation to the Saville Inquiry is published at that time.

Owen Paterson: I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, column 5 WS, where I informed the House that the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville, will be published on Tuesday 15 June.
	Financial information relating to the Inquiry has previously been published in this House. I intend to publish the most up-to-date financial information available at the same time as the Inquiry's report is published.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Owen Paterson: There is a joint Private Office in London which supports my work and that of the Minister of State. In Belfast, Ministers do not have a dedicated Private Office but have access to central support staff that carry out a broad range of functions for the Department.
	The breakdown of staff in London office is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 A 1 
			 B1 1 
			 B2 1 
			 C 2 full-time and 1 part-time 
			 D1 1 
			 D2 1 part-time 
		
	
	There is also an agency typist.
	The breakdown of central support staff in Belfast is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 B2 1 
			 C 1 
			 D1 1 full-time and 1 part-time 
			 D2 1 full-time and 1 part-time

Departmental Responsibilities

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the ministerial responsibilities are of  (a) him and  (b) the Minister of State for Northern Ireland.

Owen Paterson: The ministerial responsibilities are as follows:
	 Secretary of State
	overall responsibility for all aspects of the Department's work; and relationships with the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, on the Department's overall strategy, and on the Government's approach to the past, constitutional issues, national security and budgetary priorities.
	 Minister of State
	Leads on human rights, day-to-day national security matters, sponsorship of the Parades Commission, equality and electoral law. He also supports the Secretary of State across the range of the Department's responsibilities in Northern Ireland and in Westminster.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department.

John Penrose: The Department's key contracts are currently under review. As such, no estimate has yet been made of the total potential cost in the event of  (a) the implementation of penalty clauses and payments in contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will assess the merits of withdrawing the proposals for switchover from FM to digital radio.

Edward Vaizey: We will be looking closely at the proposals for a digital radio upgrade; however, around a quarter of all radio listening is now to digital, so a future transition to digital radio continues to gain impetus.
	Any transition to digital radio will not necessarily mean switching off FM radio in its entirety, and it is important that any switchover date is realistic in terms of consumer engagement, technical advances, in particular as regards car radios, and financial constraints.

Olympic Games 2012: Tickets

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether tickets for the London 2012 Olympics have been designated for allocation to  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants.

Hugh Robertson: Three quarters of the 10 million tickets available will be open to the public through a public ballot process. The remaining tickets will be primarily for overseas fans and as travel packages within the UK, as well as for sponsors and rights holders. In addition, Government and other Games public sector delivery partners will be entitled to purchase a small number of tickets from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The Government have not decided whether to take up this offer. All tickets need to be purchased from LOCOG-there are no free tickets.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to consult trade unions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agency on cost reduction plans.

John Penrose: The Department is already in informal discussions with both staff and trade unions, both at departmental and agency level. We will continue to talk to our staff and, where relevant, their trade unions too, and will enter into formal consultations wherever there is a requirement to do so.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Africa: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the UK has provided to the UN mission  (a) MONUC,  (b) MINURCAT,  (c) UNAMID,  (d) UNMIL,  (e) UNMIS and  (f) UNOCI in the last three years.

Henry Bellingham: Over the last three years the UK has contributed between 7.8 and 8.1% towards the costs of UN Peacekeeping. Assessed contributions to UN peacekeeping missions are paid in US Dollars.
	Our sterling costs for those missions covered in the question, over the last three UK financial years, are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 MONUC (Democratic Republic of Congo) 39,728,447 49,272,772 61,892,423 
			 MINURCAT (Chad/Central African Republic) 5,771,218 18,153,470 29,474,421 
			 UNAMID (Darfur) 37,228,728 55,229,550 68,961,432 
			 UNMIL (Liberia) 25,403,196 25,324,767 25,687,061 
			 UNMIS (Sudan 28,920,533 29,807,091 40,761,445 
			 UNOCI (Cote D'Ivoire) 15,184,311 19,968,023 23,775,607 
		
	
	The figures for 2009-10 are estimates, as we cannot confirm final figures until the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's resource accounts are closed. These figures do not include any bilateral assistance or training to troop- contributing countries.

Burma: Elections

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Burma in respect of the forthcoming elections.

Jeremy Browne: Burmese elections planned for later this year are set to be held under deeply oppressive conditions. Recently passed election laws and existing security provisions place severe restrictions on campaigning and participation in the process. Over 2,100 political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain under detention, and arbitrary arrests continue. The regime has rejected offers of international election observers. In such circumstances, elections will not have legitimacy or international credibility. Tensions between the military Government and Burma's ethnic ceasefire groups have also increased, as they resist the regime's attempt to absorb their armed wings into the Burmese army.

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the discovery of foetuses and bodies of babies in the Guangfu river, Jining City, China; whether he plans to make representations to the Government of China on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: We are aware of reports of the discovery of foetuses and babies' bodies in the Guangfu River in March this year, and of reports that hospital workers connected to it were suspended or removed from their posts pending an investigation. We have no further information on the case.

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports he has received since his appointment on the operation of a one child policy by the Government of China; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions  (a) he has had since his appointment and  (b) plans to have with the Government of China on its population planning policies; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent discussions officials in the British Embassy in China have had with officials of the Government of China on  (a) reports of forced abortion and sterilisation and  (b) birth control quotas in China; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will make representations to the Government of China seeking the relaxation of its population planning policy; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: Since his appointment, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received reports about China's one child policy, and has not had any discussions with the Chinese Government about it. We are concerned about the implementation of China's Population and Family Planning Law. This issue was last raised in detail under the previous Government with the Chinese authorities at the 16th round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2008. We do not dispute China's right or need to implement family planning policies but we do believe they should be based on principles of consent.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

David Lidington: The number of civil service staff (excluding Special Advisers) employed in each Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministerial office is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  Foreign Secretary's Office  
			 SMS2 1 
			 D7 1 
			 D6 2 
			 B3 5 
			 A2 8 
			 Al 1 
			   
			  Henry Bellingham's Office  
			 D6 l 
			 C4 2 
			 B3 1 
			 A2 1 
			   
			  Jeremy Browne's Office  
			 D7 1 
			 C4 l 
			 B3 2 
			 A2 1 
			   
			  David Liddington's Office  
			 D6 l 
			 C4 2 
			 B3 1 
			 A2 1 
			   
			  The right hon. Lord Howell of Guildford's Office  
			 C4 l 
			 A2 1 
			   
			  Alistair Burt's Office  
			 D6 1 
			 C4 2 
			 B3 1 
			 A2 1

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of proposed reductions in numbers of non-front line staff in his Department and its agencies.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects to achieve all its currently anticipated reductions in UK civil service staff through a recruitment freeze and natural wastage. These would not incur compensation costs.

Departmental Manpower

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) front-line and  (b) other staff were employed by (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in the latest year for which figures are available; and what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the public purse of employing staff of each type at each of those bodies.

Alistair Burt: The average number of permanent front-line Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) civil servants, in London and overseas, in financial year 2009-10 was 2,868. The forecast salary cost for these staff is £157.3 million. In addition, approximately 10,000 locally engaged staff at overseas posts were employed during financial year 2009-10 costing £186.5 million.
	There were an average of 1,562 other UK based FCO civil servants employed during financial year 2009-10 costing £85.7 million.
	The FCO Services Trading Fund employed an average of 927 UK based staff during financial year 2009-10 costing £44.8 million.
	Wilton Park Agency employed an average of 77 UK based staff during financial year 2009-10 costing £2.5 million.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to save £55 million from his Department's budget for 2010-11.

Alistair Burt: The £55 million will be delivered from cutting waste and inefficiency, and reducing lower priority spend including through:
	reduced spend on consultancy and support functions;
	more collaborative procurement with other Departments who have a presence overseas, such as the Department for International Development;
	increasing asset sales in less-used parts of Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) overseas estates; and
	a review of the FCO's programme spend to be led by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department.

Alistair Burt: The ministerial announcements of 31 May 2010 relating to the £6.2 billion of cuts included an intention to conduct a review of major projects and renegotiate major contracts with top suppliers to Government to seek efficiencies. These programmes will be led by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) on behalf of central Government. To achieve maximum savings, the analysis of contingent liabilities will form part of the review methodology. Contract deferral and termination is taken very seriously by Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The OGC will also take into account any potential costs associated with those areas during their review.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Alistair Burt: We have not made any estimates of redundancy costs as we currently have no plans to make any staff redundant.

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to tackle the shipment of weapons and funds from Iran to  (a) Afghanistan,  (b) Iraq,  (c) Lebanon and  (d) Gaza in the next six months; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: Iranian support in the form of weapons, funding and training to the Taliban, Iraqi militia groups, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups is unacceptable. It further undermines international confidence in the Iranian regime's intentions, and is at odds with the regime's claim to the international community and its own people, that it supports stability in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
	The UK has worked with and will continue to work with International Security Assistance Force to interdict shipments of weapons to the Taliban, including from Iran. We will work with international partners and in the UN to urge Iran to comply with international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR). Iran's transfers of weapons to the groups mentioned are contrary to UNSCRs 1737, 1747, 1803, 1701 (Hezbollah) and 1860 (Gaza).

Iran: Sanctions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take at the United Nations to seek to prevent  (a) weapons and  (b) funds from the Government of Iran being sent to terrorist groups in (i) Afghanistan, (ii) Iraq, (iii) Gaza and (iv) Lebanon in the next six months; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Following a series of sanctions violations by Iran in 2009 (including the interdictions of weapons from Iran on the Hansa India, Monchegorsk and Francop vessels), the UN Sanctions Committee on Iran issued an Implementation Assistance Notice in January 2010. This urged all UN member states to be especially alert to further violations, in particular to exercise enhanced vigilance over all Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines activity, including subjecting its cargo to enhanced scrutiny.
	We and E3+3 partners are leading efforts to secure a UN resolution imposing further sanctions on Iran in the light of the Iranian Government's continued refusal to abide by UN Security Council Resolutions on its nuclear programme. We are seeking targeted measures, including against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which funds and supplies proxy groups in the region.
	We will pay close attention to these issues and consider further means of constraining Iran's ability to cause instability in the region. The proximity talks that are under way, between the Israelis and Palestinians, are more important than ever to help pave the way towards a comprehensive peace in the region.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the compatibility of Israel's blockade of Gaza with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Alistair Burt: Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, given the significant control that Israel has over Gaza's borders, airspace and territorial waters, Israel retains obligations under the fourth Geneva convention as an occupying power.
	The UK has been clear that the current restrictions are unacceptable and counterproductive and it is the people of Gaza who suffer from them. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear in his conversation with the Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. We will continue to work with international partners and press the Israeli Government to allow unfettered access of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the EU to raise the restrictions placed by the Government of Israel on access for humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials into Gaza at the next discussion of the Middle East Quartet; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear in his public statement on 5 June 2010, we continue to press the Government of Israel to lift Gaza's closure. The Foreign Secretary is also discussing these issues urgently with our international partners-including during his ongoing visits to EU capitals. We welcome Quartet discussion of these issues.

Middle East: Politics and Government

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government have taken to increase the level of political stability in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to press both sides to show the courage, commitment and compromise needed to make real progress on the peace process.
	We remain determined to do everything possible to work towards a two state solution that achieves a viable and sovereign Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, with its right to live in peace and security recognised by all its neighbours. The proximity talks that are under way are more important than ever to help pave the way towards a comprehensive peace in the region.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined our commitment in his recent conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas. And my right hon. friend the Foreign Secretary also made this clear in the House.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's most recent assessment is of the security situation in Nigeria, with particular reference to Jos; and whether he has made representations to the Government of Nigeria on that situation.

Henry Bellingham: The security situation in Jos remains fragile following several disturbing outbreaks of violence since January. We have conveyed our concerns at a senior level to the Government of Nigeria and the Plateau State Government. We have made clear publicly that those who have committed atrocities should be held accountable. We believe a way forward must be found for the communities of Jos to live together in a spirit of reconciliation and dialogue. We continue to work with our international partners to support a long lasting peaceful solution to the intercommunal violence in Jos.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the proposed demolition of houses in East Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of proposals by the Mayor of Jerusalem regarding demolition of homes in East Jerusalem.
	The Government believe that any attempts by Israel to alter the character or demography of East Jerusalem are unacceptable and damaging to the peace process. House demolitions cause suffering to Palestinians, increase tension within the city and make it more difficult for Palestinians life to continue in East Jerusalem.
	Both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have reiterated in contacts with Israeli and Palestinian counterparts, the importance of proximity talks and overall progress on the peace process.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the proposed demolition of houses in East Jerusalem.

Alistair Burt: I would like to make clear, with few exceptions, house demolitions in occupied territory, including in East Jerusalem, are in direct contravention of article 53 of the fourth Geneva convention.
	Evictions of Palestinian families and the destruction of Palestinian homes and property are also deeply unhelpful to the wider Middle East Peace Process.
	My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have reiterated to their Israeli counterparts the importance we attach to making progress towards a two-state solution.

South America: Embassies

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the future of diplomatic posts in  (a) Peru,  (b) Colombia,  (c) Venezuela,  (d) Uruguay and  (e) Chile.

Jeremy Browne: We have no plans that would affect the future of diplomatic posts in those countries.

Sudan: Elections

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens are based in Sudan as election observers; and what steps his Department is taking in response to President al-Bashir's threat to remove foreign observers.

Henry Bellingham: Five British citizens participated in the EU Election Observation Mission which was deployed for the Sudanese elections in April 2010. We are also aware that a number of British citizens also participated in a privately-organised election monitoring mission.
	Our embassy staff in Khartoum and Juba also participated in diplomatic observation efforts.
	The UK was concerned at President Bashir's threats towards election observers. We raised our concerns at a senior level with the Government of Sudan and sought reassurance that such threats would not be repeated.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the security situation in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: Insecurity in Sudan is of serious concern and continues to have a devastating impact on the lives of many Sudanese across the country. The UK continues to support work towards the peaceful implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and an inclusive and lasting settlement in Darfur which is essential for long-term peace in Sudan.
	In Darfur security has deteriorated considerably in the past few months, including the resumption of fighting between Government forces and Darfuri movements, intertribal conflict, attacks on peacekeepers and humanitarian workers and civil unrest in North Darfur. The fighting in Eastern Jebel Mara, and around Jebel Moon, is particularly worrying, with potentially severe humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. We continue to urge all sides to immediately cease hostilities and to allow humanitarian access.
	We are also concerned by the situation in South Sudan. In 2009 over 390,000 people were forced from their homes and 2,500 were killed, a trend that has continued in 2010. Current insecurity in Jonglei and Unity states are particularly worrying. We continue to urge the Government of South Sudan and the United Nations Mission in Sudan to respond proactively to and reduce the risks of violent clashes. We are also working to improve the capacity of the Government of South Sudan to respond to and reduce insecurity.

Trade Unions

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to consult trade unions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies on cost reduction plans.

Alistair Burt: Discussion of how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will meet its current savings targets is under way. We will share relevant information with the trade unions and consult as necessary.

Turkey: EU Enlargement

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government supports Turkey's application to join the European Union.

David Lidington: The Government strongly support Turkey's application to join the EU, subject to the rigorous application of the accession criteria.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to prevent the sale of alcohol below cost price; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: We are determined to tackle the sale of alcohol below cost price, and clamp down on irresponsible sales where this has been shown to impact on crime and disorder. The Government are considering the detail of what "below-cost selling" constitutes and how the ban will be enforced. We will work closely with other Government Departments including DBIS and the OFT, as well as representatives of the licensed trade, including the supermarkets, to determine how best to effectively implement this commitment, without unduly adding a bureaucratic burden for businesses.

British Nationality: Assessments

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people with learning difficulties have applied to be exempted from the citizenship test; how many have been exempted; and how many who were not exempted subsequently  (a) passed and  (b) failed the test.

Damian Green: Neither requests for exemption from the requirement to demonstrate a sufficient knowledge of life in the United Kingdom nor the outcomes of such requests are recorded centrally. The information requested could be obtained only by detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department plans to implement the cross-departmental strategy to tackle violence against women published in November 2009.

James Brokenshire: Violence against women and girls remains prevalent in our society. This is unacceptable and there should be a cross-departmental approach to addressing it. I look forward to discussing with colleagues across Government how we will take forward our approach in this area as both coalition parties planned in opposition. As a first step, the coalition programme for government pledges to consider how to use proceeds from the victim surcharge to deliver up to 15 new rape crisis centres, and give existing rape crisis centres stable, long-term funding.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to extend the pilot project for women with no recourse to public funds beyond August 2010; and whether she plans to make this initiative permanent.

James Brokenshire: A Home Office pilot project for women with no recourse to public funds is due to run until the end of August 2010. It is being monitored on a monthly basis with a full evaluation taking place following completion of the pilot. This will assist in informing our next steps.

Deportation: Poland

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Polish nationals have been deported from the UK for reasons other than criminal convictions or other criminal proceedings in each of the last three years.

Damian Green: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The UK Border Agency has not deported any Polish nationals for reasons other than criminal convictions or other criminal proceedings in any of the last three years.
	Total numbers of removals and voluntary departures of Polish nationals, including deportations, were 80 in 2007, 135 in 2008 and 160 in 2009.

Detention Centres: Children

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been transferred from Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre to centres elsewhere in the UK since 6 May 2010.

Damian Green: Four children (from two families) have been transferred from Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre to centres elsewhere in the UK since 6 May 2010.
	The data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications.

Detention Centres: Children

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to end child detentions at all immigration removal centres in the UK.

Damian Green: This Government are committed to ending the detention of children for immigration purposes and we have already begun a review to find a way forward which protects the welfare of children, while ensuring the removal of those who have no right to be in the UK.

Detention Centres: Children

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Ministers in her Department have signed authorisations for the continued detention of children at immigration removal centres beyond 28 days since taking office.

Damian Green: Local management information indicates that no authorisations have been sought for the continued detention of a child beyond 28 days since 12 May 2010.
	These data are normally used for management information only and are not subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications.

Identity Cards

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many identity cards were issued before 11 May 2010  (a) in total and  (b) to residents of Greater Manchester.

Damian Green: holding answer 2 June 2010
	There were approximately 13,200 identity cards issued before 11 May 2010, around 6,000 of which were issued in Greater Manchester.

Identity Cards

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether those identity cards that have already been issued will remain valid for a full 10 years;
	(2)  if she will make arrangements to offer a refund to individuals who have paid for an identity card;
	(3) whether individuals who have paid for an identity card will be offered a credit when they next renew their passport.

Damian Green: holding answer 2 June 2010
	Currently Identity Cards remain valid until the date of expiry on the card. However, the Identity Documents Bill was laid before Parliament on 26 May 2010. The Bill proposes the scrapping of ID Cards and the National Identity Register. Cards would remain valid for one month after Royal Assent. The Identity and Passport Service is writing to each cardholder informing them of progress and contact details for further advice. Card refunds or credit for a future passport application will not be offered.

Oakington Immigration Removal Centre

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps have been taken to review policy and procedures at the Oakington Immigration Centre; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 2 June 2010
	All immigration removal centres are governed by the Detention Centre Rules 2001, which are underpinned by a set of operating standards.
	Centres are subject to a programme of inspection visits by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, and the UK Border Agency considers carefully any comments about the operation of the Centre. The last inspection report for Oakington was published in December 2008 and has a service improvement plan to address areas where UKBA accepted the recommendations. A copy of the plan is available in the House Library.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

Gregory Barker: The percentage of invoices from suppliers paid by the Department within 10 days of receipt was 96% in March and 96.2% in April 2010.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many special advisers  (a) he and  (b) each named Minister in his Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Departmental Public Appointments

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Helen Goodman).

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) implementation of penalty clauses and payments in its contracts and  (b) potential legal action arising from the deferral and cancellation of contracts and projects under his Department's plans to achieve cost savings; and whether those estimates are included in the total cost savings to be achieved by his Department.

Gregory Barker: The Department is continuing to assess the possibility of costs arising from penalty clauses or legal action arising from cancellation of contracts to achieve the cost savings. Our current estimate is that no such costs are likely to be incurred.

Transocean

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many oil rigs operating in UK waters  (a) are owned by Transocean and  (b) were registered in (i) the Marshall Islands, (ii) Panama, (iii) Liberia and (iv) the Bahamas.

Charles Hendry: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) There are around 10 Transocean rigs in UK waters at the moment, with a further four currently idle and stacked.
	 (b) I understand that, of the 10 rigs currently operating here, (i) two are registered in the Marshall Islands, (ii) two in Panama, (iii) three in Liberia, and (iv) none in the Bahamas. Of the remaining three, two are registered in Vanuatu and one in Germany.

Warm Front Scheme

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the continuation of the Warm Front scheme beyond the 2010-11 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Funding for the scheme is just over £1.1 billion for the current three year spending period to March 2011. This includes a cash provision of £345 million for 2010-11. Funding for future years will be considered as part of the budget and spending review processes.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what her most recent estimate is of the annual cost to the Government Equalities Office of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff.

Lynne Featherstone: The Government Equalities Office has not made any redundancy payments since its inception and is not proposing to make any redundancy payments in 2010-11.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Taxation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to implement his proposal to replace  (a) air passenger duty with a per plane duty and what account the proposed new scheme will take of air freight movements and  (b) routes for which alternative forms of transport which have less environmental impact are available.

Justine Greening: I have been asked to reply.
	The coalition agreement includes a switch from a per passenger to a per plane duty; the Government are considering options for doing so, and welcome the views of interested parties.
	Announcements on tax policy will be made in the usual way.

Biofuels

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on encouraging the use of methane from biogas as a transport fuel.

Norman Baker: The coalition agreement included a commitment to
	"measures to promote a huge increase in energy from waste through anaerobic digestion",
	and to
	"seek to increase the target for energy from renewable sources, subject to the advice of the Climate Change Committee".
	The use of biomethane as a transport fuel will be considered as part of this process.

Crossrail Line

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's plans are for the future of Crossrail.

Theresa Villiers: As we made clear in the coalition agreement, the Government support Crossrail. The project will support and enable growth-now, and in the future, in London and across the UK as a whole. At the same time, we need to ensure that every pound invested in the project is well spent and that the scheme remains affordable. Crossrail Ltd is focused on optimising value for money through effective management of risk and best value engineering solutions to achieve this goal.

Crossrail Line: Finance

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which private sector organisations have committed financing to Crossrail in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the two subsequent financial years; and how much each has committed.

Theresa Villiers: Private sector commitments to Crossrail include a number of commercial agreements with private sector companies to provide contributions to Crossrail, given the benefits which will flow to businesses as a result of the scheme.
	There are specific agreements with Canary Wharf Group (for £150 million), City of London (for £350 million), BAA (for £230 million), and Berkeley Homes Group (to construct the Woolwich Station box) as well as wider contributions being made through Business Rate Supplements, the planned Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 developer contributions.
	Construction of the Canary Wharf Crossrail station is currently under way and good progress is being made. It is envisaged, on the current rate of construction, that the £150 million Canary Wharf Group contribution to Crossrail will have been put in to the project by June 2011.
	The other contributions are not due within the next three financial years and are subject to conditions being met which are set out in the specific agreements.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Road Traffic Control

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce traffic congestion at the Dartford Crossing.

Michael Penning: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The Highways Agency is developing a package of technology measures to improve journey times and hence reduce congestion at the Dartford Crossing. These include:
	Installing average speed cameras on the southbound carriageway between A282 junction 31 and the Toll Plaza.
	Installing average speed cameras on the northbound carriageway between M25 junction 2 and A282 junction 1a.
	Improving information to drivers by variable message signing.
	Implementing variable speed limits during periods of congestion between M25 junctions 3 and 2, south of the crossing.
	The Department for Transport is investigating further measures to improve performance at the existing crossing in the medium-term. The potential options for additional crossing capacity are also being considered.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

Norman Baker: There are no plasma televisions and four LCD televisions in the ministerial offices in the Department for Transport. These were all purchased prior to May 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

Norman Baker: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/statements-and-articles/2010/05/letter-to-government-departments-on-opening-up-data-51204
	reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Philip Hammond: The Department for Transport has introduced restrictions on recruitment in order to reduce the numbers of staff in non-front line roles, with exceptions for front line staff and business critical positions with appropriate control measures.
	There are no departmental or agency specific redundancy programmes and the cost of capturing this information for individual cases is available only at disproportionate cost.
	The cost to the Department of redundancy and other exit payments this year will be disclosed in our Annual Report and Resource Accounts for 2010-11.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the number of people who drive without insurance; and how many vehicles were seized for being driven without insurance in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: We are working in collaboration with the insurance industry to implement continuous insurance enforcement early in 2011. This will involve regularly comparing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle database with the Motor Insurance Database to identify uninsured vehicles and to follow up with enforcement action against their keepers. In 2009, 178,000 uninsured vehicles were seized by the police.

Guided Bus Projects

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold a public inquiry into the Cambridge Guided Bus project; and for what reasons his Department decided to allocate funding to the Luton and Dunstable Guided Bus project.

Norman Baker: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The issue of how best to assess the delivery of the Cambridgeshire Guided Bus scheme, and how the contract for the scheme has worked, is a matter for the scheme promoter, Cambridgeshire county council. However, I have asked my officials to begin investigating options for a review of guided bus policy, which will draw on the Cambridgeshire experience, among others. I will write to my hon. Friend shortly to confirm details of this review.
	Funding for the Luton Dunstable Busway scheme was approved by the previous Government under the arrangements at that time for assessing and approval of local major transport schemes.

Midland Main Railway Line

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for electrification of the Midland Main Line rail route.

Theresa Villiers: We are in the early stages of the new Government and Ministers are considering the full range of transport policy. The Government support rail electrification as it helps to reduce carbon emissions and cut running costs. No decisions have been made on the electrification of the Midland Main Line.

Network Rail

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure that Network Rail  (a) is more accountable to its customers and  (b) puts the interests of passengers first; and when he plans to publish his proposals.

Theresa Villiers: The Government have a commitment to make Network Rail more accountable to its customers. We are investigating options for implementing this and no final decisions on specific measures have yet been taken. At the same time, we are also investigating options for turning the Office of Rail Regulation into a powerful passenger champion.

Network Rail

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to implement his proposal to specify Network Rail as a body to which the Freedom of Information Act 2000 applies.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are considering a range of options for delivering its commitment to increase the accountability and transparency of Network Rail.

Office of Rail Regulation

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he plans to ensure the Office of Rail Regulation effectively represents the interests of passengers.

Theresa Villiers: The Government have a commitment to turn the Office of Rail Regulation into a powerful passenger champion. We are currently investigating options for the implementation of this policy.

Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants are entitled to use the Government Car Service; and how many will be entitled to use the service in the future.

Michael Penning: Civil servants use public transport wherever possible although in some circumstances they can use a taxi-style service provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, bookable on demand. Four senior civil servants currently have allocated Government cars and drivers, three of whom have notified their intention to cancel existing arrangements.

Public Expenditure

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the breakdown is of the planned £683 million reduction in his Department's expenditure.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 2 June 2010
	I have agreed to contribute £683 million to the £6 billion of in-year Budget reductions sought in the emergency Budget. The breakdown of these reductions is as follows:
	Local authority grants -A £309 million reduction in the Department's specific grants to local authorities.
	Transport for London -I am consulting with the Mayor on a proposed £108 million reduction in the Department's grant to Transport for London.
	Network Rail will reduce spend by £100 million.
	The Department is also making £112 million savings in its direct expenditure through a range of measures including a recruitment freeze, reduction in discretionary spend, and re-negotiation of contracts with major suppliers to reduce their cost.
	It has also been necessary to defer £54 million that would have been spent on a small number of lower priority rolling stock and highway improvement schemes.

Railway Stations: Leeds

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department has allocated to the proposed new railway station at Kirkstall Forge; what recent discussions he has had on the allocation of that funding; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given to the hon. Member today (UIN 765).

Railway Stations: Leeds

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has for the proposed new railway station at Kirkstall Forge in West Leeds; what recent discussions he has had on the building of that proposed station; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Government's key priority at present is to tackle the budget deficit. The Department for Transport will consider the funding for local authority and Passenger Transport Executive major transport schemes as part of the Government's spending review, to be carried out by the autumn. The Department is not therefore currently in a position to give any commitments on projects such as a new railway station at Kirkstall Forge.

Railways: Bus Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to implement his proposal to require Network Rail to refund a third of the ticket price if a passenger has to take a rail replacement bus service as a consequence of engineering work; and from what budget such refunds will be provided.

Theresa Villiers: I have made no specific proposal. However, the Government have a commitment to reform Network Rail to make it more accountable to its customers. We are in the process of considering a number of options to implement this, and no decisions on specific measures have yet been made.

Railways: Construction

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the proposed High Speed Rail links to be operational; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: HS2 Ltd's report estimates that a high speed line from London to the West Midlands could be operational from 2026. As the Government review this work we will consider any options for accelerating this timetable.

Railways: Construction

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the possible route of the proposed High Speed Rail link through Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Hammond: I have received no such recent representations, but I do support the inclusion of Leeds in a high speed rail network for the UK. Full consultation will take place before final decisions are taken on the preferred route for any section of the high speed rail network.

Railways: Electrification

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what railway lines the Government proposes to introduce railway electrification.

Theresa Villiers: We are in the early stages of the new Government and Ministers are considering the full range of transport policy. The Government support rail electrification as it helps to reduce carbon emissions and cut running costs.

Railways: North West

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has allocated to capital expenditure on rail infrastructure in the North West in  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) each of the two subsequent financial years.

Theresa Villiers: Network Rail is responsible for delivering the majority of investment in rail infrastructure across the UK rail network. The High Level Output Specification (HLOS) developed by the Department for Transport that formed the basis on which Network Rail's income was set by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for the current regulatory control period (CP4) in 2008. This specifies a number of investments in the north-west of England that are designed to improve services in the region. These include extra capacity in Manchester and Liverpool, longer trains on the West Coast Main Line and improvements in operational performance for regional services. There are also other improvements to the rail network that are being undertaken outside of the north-west that will deliver benefits to the region.
	Full details of how Network Rail propose to deliver these are set out in their business plan which is available on their website at:
	www.networkrail.co.uk
	That said, Government funding for the railway is not allocated on a regional basis. It is for Network Rail to deliver their obligations to individual regions as set out in the HLOS within the funds that have been made available to them by the ORR. The sources of these funds come from train operators and direct grants from the Government. Full details of the funding allocation are set out in the ORR's income determination for CP4. Copies of this document are available in the Libraries of the House.

Railways: Overcrowding

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is for reducing overcrowding on trains.

Theresa Villiers: We are assessing our policy for managing crowding on the rail network in the light of likely spending constraints over the next few years. Proposals by the previous Administration for the purchase of additional carriages will be reappraised and assessed for affordability. It is also the Government's aim to improve efficiency in procurement practices in relation to rolling stock.

Rapid Transit Systems: Tees Valley

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of a Metro system for the Tees Valley area; and whether he plans to allocate funding to such a system.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of any plans for a Metro system for the Tees Valley area. Nor has it received a formal funding request for such a proposal.

Transport: Finance

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanism he intends to use to review regional transport board expenditure in 2010-11.

Norman Baker: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The Government do not allocate capital funding for transport projects to regional transport boards, although regions have advised the Secretary of State on the priorities for allocating capital funding to local authorities for major transport schemes in 2010-11.
	The Government have made clear their most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record deficit. The first step to achieve this was announced by the Treasury on 24 May, setting out details of how the Government will save £6.2 billion from spending during this financial year by cutting waste and low value programmes.
	Local government will take its fair share of these savings, resulting in a reduction of £1.165 billion in grants paid to local authorities during 2010-11 of which £309 million will be from regional and local transport grants. The Government will shortly announce in more detail the implications for individual grants.

EDUCATION

Building Schools for the Future

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Michael Gove: I am currently reviewing the methods by which capital has been allocated to ensure we can build schools more effectively and cost-efficiently in the future.

Building Schools for the Future

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his plans are for the Building Schools for the Future programme in the metropolitan borough of Trafford; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Gove: I am currently reviewing the methods by which capital has been allocated to ensure we can build schools more effectively and cost-efficiently in the future.

All-through Schools

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the performance of three-to-18 schools.

Michael Gove: There are currently 35 schools nationally operating as all-through, 26 of which have opened in the last three years. It is therefore too soon to make a detailed assessment of their performance, but we will keep under review their progress and the lessons that can be learned.

Free Schools

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of implementation of the free schools policy.

Michael Gove: Decisions about the level of funding available to set up and run new schools will be dependent on the outcome of the spending review in the autumn. But the clear principle is that we will fund free schools on a comparable basis to other state-funded schools and that, as now, money should follow the pupil.

Free Schools

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of free schools which will be established in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The number of free schools established over the next few years will depend on the level of demand from parents and communities.

Academy: Gloucester

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for the establishment of a new academy school in Gloucester; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Gove: This Department has been planning to open a new academy in Gloucester in September 2010. The academy, sponsored by Prospects Education Services as lead sponsor and Gloucestershire college as co-sponsor, has been planned as a merger of two predecessor schools, the Central Technology college, a boys-only school, and Bishops' college, a co-ed school. The academy has been planned to be a mixed secondary school with sixth form provision, and will offer specialisms in digital technology, computing and vocational education.

Academies

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent progress has been made on the academies programme; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Gove: There are currently 203 academies open in 83 local authorities. More academies will open in September, with numbers continuing to grow each year now that the programme has been opened up to all schools. For the academies with results in 2008 and 2009 the increase in the proportion of pupils achieving at least five A*-C GCSEs including English and maths is 5.0 percentage points, an increase on last year's academy improvement rate of 4.3 percentage points and double the average national increase.

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the number of parent governors allocated places on the governing body of any Academy school.

Nick Gibb: We value the role of parental engagement in schools; however no decisions have yet been taken on the number of parent governors allocated places on academy governing bodies.

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the publication of financial accounts by Academy schools.

Nick Gibb: All academy trusts (which includes charitable trusts running more than one academy) are required to publish annual accounts in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisations administer two or more Academy schools; and how many Academy schools each such organisation administers.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Name of sponsor  How many open academies do they sponsor 
			 Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) 8 
			 Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) 4 
			 Barnfield College Further Education Corporation 2 
			 Bob Edmiston 3 
			 Brian Scrowcroft 2 
			 Cornwallis Online Learning 2 
			 Corporation of London 3 
			 David Meller 2 
			 Diocese of London 3 
			 Diocese of Manchester 2 
			 Diocese of Oxford 2 
			 Diocese of Southwark 2 
			 Dixons Academy Trust 2 
			 Edge Foundation 2 
			 Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust (EACT) 8 
			 Emmanuel Schools Foundation 3 
			 Girls' Day School Trust (GDST) 2 
			 Haberdashers' Livery Company 2 
			 Harris Federation of South London Schools 9 
			 John Cabot Academy 2 
			 Leigh CTC 2 
			 Oasis Community Learning 11 
			 Outwood Grange College of Technology 2 
			 Priory Fundraising Trust 3 
			 RC Archdiocese of Southwark 2 
			 Samworth Brothers 2 
			 Schools Partnership Trust 2 
			 Stanton Lane Trust 2 
			 The Manchester College 2 
			 The Mercers Company 2 
			 The Ormiston Trust 7 
			 The Ridings Education Trust 2 
			 The Society of Merchant Venturers 2 
			 Thomas Telford Online 2 
			 United Learning Trust (ULT) 17 
			 Weston Foundation 3 
			 Woodard Corporation 2

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if he will make it a requirement for Academy schools to comply with the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will bring forward proposals to prevent Academy schools downgrading or removing from their curriculums any of the subjects of  (a) geography,  (b) history,  (c) each of the sciences and  (d) modern languages; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We trust teachers and head teachers to run their schools. This will include giving academies freedom from following the national curriculum and enabling them to raise standards by tailoring the curriculum to the needs of their students. Academies will still be required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

Academies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent research he has evaluated on the effects on the examination results of Academy schools of concentration of resources by those schools on vocational courses instead of academic courses; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: It is for schools to decide the most appropriate range of courses and qualifications to offer to their students. There is no evidence that academies are concentrating resources on vocational courses instead of academic courses. The latest examination results for 2009 show that academies have seen a 5.0 percentage point increase in the proportion of pupils achieving at least five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths (for those academies with results in 2008 and 2009), double the average national increase of 2.5 percentage points.

Academies

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of progress on the academies programme; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Gove: There are currently 203 academies open in 83 local authorities. More academies will open in September, with numbers continuing to grow each year now that the programme has been opened up to all schools. For the academies with results in 2008 and 2009 the increase in the proportion of pupils achieving at least five A*-C GCSEs including English and maths is 5.0 percentage points, an increase on last year's academy improvement rate of 4.3 percentage points and double the average national increase.

Duchess's High School, Alnwick

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will visit Alnwick to discuss the rebuilding of the Duchess's high school.

Michael Gove: I am currently reviewing the methods by which capital has been allocated to ensure we can build schools more effectively and cost-efficiently in the future. But I hope that I or one of the ministerial team will have the opportunity to visit Alnwick again in due course.

Apprentices

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to increase the number of 16 and 17 year-olds who  (a) start and  (b) complete apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We intend to increase the number of apprenticeship places for people of all ages, and we are committed to improving the quality of apprenticeships to make them better suited to the needs of employers and learners.
	We will seek ways to support the creation of apprenticeships, internships, work pairings, and college and workplace training places as part of our wider programme to get Britain working.

CAFCASS: Complaints

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has received about its services in each year since its inception.

Tim Loughton: The number of complaints received by CAFCASS in its services is an operational matter for CAFCASS. The chief executive of CAFCASS, Anthony Douglas will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his response will be placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Anthony Douglas:
	I am writing to you in response to Parliamentary Question that you tabled recently.
	The table below indicates the number of complaints received by Cafcass since its inception in April 2001.
	
		
			   Number of complaints received 
			 2001/02 (1)476 
			 2002/03 440 
			 2003/04 500 
			 2004/05 484 
			 2005/06 474 
			 2006/07 640 
			 2007/08 709 
			 2008/09 1,030 
			 2009/10 1,310 
			 (1) 132 of these relating to work carried out prior to the establishment of Cafcass on 1 April 2001. 
		
	
	January 2009 saw the introduction of a revised complaints procedure that was intended to enable a larger proportion of service users' feedback to be dealt with within the boundaries of the revised procedure. Thus, the figures for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are not directly comparable with those from earlier years.

Children: Exercise

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on Tai-Chi programmes in schools in the last three years for which figures are available; which five companies or charities have received the largest sums in such funding; and how much each has received;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the value for money of his Department's expenditure on provision of Tai-Chi courses.

Nick Gibb: Neither the Department nor its predecessor has spent any money directly on Tai-Chi programmes in schools in the last three years. Any Tai-Chi programmes in schools would be funded directly by the schools themselves. We do not collect data relating to the value for money of schools provision of Tai-Chi for their pupils.

History: Curriculum

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to include the history of the 20th century in the National Curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: We are currently considering our priorities for the national curriculum, including what it should cover. We will be announcing our plans in due course.

Music: Education

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on singing programmes in schools in the last three years for which figures are available; which five companies or charities have received the largest sums in funding; and how much each has received.

Nick Gibb: Tenders were invited in 2007 to provide support for the Singing Ambassador, Howard Goodall, in developing and delivering the national singing programme. The "Sing Up" consortium with Youth Music, the Sage Gateshead, Faber Music and Abbot Mead Vickers submitted a successful bid in July 2007. Funding to the "Sing Up" Consortium was £7.4 million in 2007-08, and £9 million in each of 2008-09 and 2009-10. In addition £1 million was paid in each of those years to the Choir Schools Association for the Chorister Outreach Programme, a part of the national singing programme.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve treatment of people with alcohol problems.

Anne Milton: Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are responsible for arranging to meet the local needs of those with alcohol-related problems from their resources and for ensuring that services commissioned are of the required quality.
	The Department's Alcohol Improvement programme supports the NHS to help PCTs commission improvements in prevention and treatment, through:
	Regular data from the National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System on improvements in treatment in each PCT and local alcohol profiles for England to help PCTs understand local need in relation to alcohol harm;
	Publication each quarter by PCT of the vital signs indicator on alcohol-related hospital admissions, to show how local improvements in prevention and treatment are reducing harm;
	Guidance on effective commissioning and treatment, for example "Models of care for Alcohol Misusers" (2006) and "Signs for Improvement-commissioning interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm" (2009); and
	A national support team for alcohol, which supports PCTs and their partner organisations in areas with the highest rates of alcohol related hospital admissions to review their commissioning and delivery systems for alcohol harm reduction and identify what improvements can be made.
	Alcohol is a major public health issue. We intend to ensure a proper focus on public health within the NHS. This will include prevention of alcohol-related illness. We are also determined to help the NHS effectively commission services, with a focus on good outcomes from treatment, including treatment for alcohol dependence. We will set out our plans in more detail through announcements in the coming months.

Autism: Health Services

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made on the Adult Autism Strategy; what guidance he plans to provide to  (a) the NHS and  (b) local authorities on implementation of that strategy; what (i) short and (ii) long-term targets he plans to set as part of that strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The Government are committed to addressing the needs of people with autism and their families. The Autism Strategy for adults with autism in England-"Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives-was published on 3 March 2010 and copies placed in the Library.
	To assist the national health service and local authorities to implement the strategy locally, the Department will fulfil the commitment set out in the Autism Act 2009 and consult on and publish guidance in December 2010. Consultation will begin in the next few weeks.
	The Autism Programme Board, which includes health professionals, third sector voluntary organisations and people with autism, has been established and will meet quarterly to monitor progress of the strategy and determine if targets are required. This board will be co-chaired by me as the Minister of State for Care Services, and Mr David Behan, the Director General for Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships.

Blood: Contamination

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the Government's policy on provision of compensation for NHS patients with haemophilia who were infected with hepatitis C through treatment with contaminated blood products.

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support he plans to provide for those people who were infected with hepatitis C as a result of receiving contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s.

Anne Milton: The national health service provides treatment for patients diagnosed with hepatitis C, in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations.
	Individuals who were inadvertently infected with hepatitis C by NHS supplied contaminated blood and blood products are also eligible to receive financial assistance from the Skipton Fund. We are carefully considering policy in this area, and we will announce a decision in due course.

Care Homes

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will undertake a review into the funding and provision of residential care for the elderly for the purposes of assessing the merits of different mechanisms for allocating the funding of such care.

Paul Burstow: "Freedom, Fairness, Responsibility", the Coalition's Programme for Government, set out plans to establish a commission which will consider how to ensure responsible and sustainable funding for long term care. The Commission will be established as soon as possible and report within a year.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly primary care trust to reach its target level of funding;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the dates on which  (a) the first and  (b) the last primary care trust to reach target funding will do so.

Simon Burns: We have guaranteed that health spending will increase in real terms in each year of the Parliament. However, health care spend will also be looked at as part of the next Spending Review. This will inform the speed at which primary care trusts move towards their target revenue allocations.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in ministerial offices in his Department.

Simon Burns: There are no plasma televisions and seven LCD televisions in Ministerial Private Offices in the Department.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) grants and  (b) other funding made available for (i) joint working between central and local government and (ii) local government-led services will be affected by his Department's planned spending reductions; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: With regards to local government grants, no Department of Health grants for adult social care will be reduced in 2010-11. So, in 2010-11, the Department will fund over £1.4 billion of grants to local government for adult social care, as planned.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government will shortly be announcing the Government's detailed proposals for local authorities.
	With regards to other funding made available for joint working between central and local government, health funding is protected from the £6.2 billion of cross Government spending reductions announced recently. Efficiency savings identified in 2010-11, for example from programme budgets which are not consistent with the Government's priorities, will help ensure we protect front line services.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist in-patient  (a) drug and  (b) alcohol detoxification beds were available on the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Data on the total number of in-patient detoxification beds available in England across national health service and independent sector settings are not available centrally.
	However, local drug partnerships will have information on their arrangements for inpatient detoxification, including specialist treatment centres. Contact details for each partnership can be found via the Home Office website:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100419081707/http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/dat/directory/

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting for access to in-patient detoxification facilities in each National Treatment Agency region on the latest date for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: Published national drug treatment statistics, recorded by the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System, record the number of people who wait under and over three weeks for their first and subsequent drug treatment. They do not report waiting times for specific treatments.

Fluoride: Drinking Water

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it remains his policy that fluoridation of the water supply in Totton and Southampton should not take place without the consent of a majority of the local population.

Simon Burns: Section 58 of the Water Act 2003 empowers strategic health authorities (SHAs) to contract with water undertakers to fluoridate a water supply after conducting public consultations. It is essential that any consultation gives people a real opportunity to make their views known and that those views are taken into account before a final decision is made.
	The decision by South Central SHA to approve the fluoridation of water supplies to the Southampton area is the subject of a judicial review, which is likely to be heard in the autumn, and so due to the legal challenge the Department is unable to comment.

Homeopathy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to increase the accuracy of labelling of licensed homeopathic products;
	(2)  if he will ensure that no further clinical trials of homeopathy are funded by the NHS;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of homeopathic treatments funded by the NHS;
	(4)  when the Government plan to respond to the Science and Technology Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy, HC45.

Anne Milton: The issues mentioned were all raised by the Science and Technology Committee's report Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy: The Government are currently considering the report, including the issues mentioned, and will respond in due course.

Homeopathy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the prescription of placebo treatments.

Anne Milton: The issue mentioned was raised by the Science and Technology Committee's report "Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy". The Government are currently considering the report, including the issue mentioned, and will respond in due course.

Homeopathy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued on the prescribing of homeopathic treatments on the NHS.

Anne Milton: The issue mentioned were all raised by the Science and Technology Committee's report "Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy". The Government are currently considering the report, including the issue mentioned, and will respond in due course.

Hospitals: Wynyard

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will ensure that £464 million expenditure for the new hospital at Wynyard is maintained;
	(2)  whether all funding for capital projects agreed by his Department since 1 January 2010 will be maintained.

Simon Burns: As with all significant spending commitments made between 1 January 2010 and the election on 6 May, the proposed new hospital scheme at Wynyard for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust will be subject to the Government's re-examination of such approvals to ensure they are consistent with the Government's priorities and good value for money.

Marie Stopes International

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on  (a) pregnancy counselling,  (b) abortions and  (c) other counselling, including post-abortion counselling provided by Marie Stopes International in each of the last five years; and how many people received each such service in each such year.

Anne Milton: This information is not collected centrally.
	The cost to the national health service of abortions performed in NHS hospitals in 2008-09 was £82.1 million. This figure does not include abortions performed by independent sector organisations, such as Marie Stopes International, under contract to the NHS. In 2009, 60% of NHS funded abortions were performed under contract by the independent sector.

Mental Health Services: Children

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) qualifications and  (b) competencies are required of specialist child and adolescent mental health service staff working with children with autism and related mental health problems.

Paul Burstow: Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services staff have a professional qualification in one of a number of disciplines, such as psychology, psychiatry, social work or education. Many will also hold post-professional awards in specific therapeutic approaches.
	A properly qualified, trained and competent workforce is required to meet the complex needs of children with autism and related mental health problems.

Mental Health Services: Children

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's guidance to commissioners of child and adolescent mental health services of the services they are required to provide in respect of the availability of 24-hour care to meet urgent mental health needs in order to meet the criteria for  (a) national indicator 51, proxy measure 3 and  (b) vital signs indicator 12.

Paul Burstow: The guidance to commissioners on completing the Vital Signs Monitoring Return asks:
	"Are arrangements in place to ensure that 24 hour cover is available to meet the urgent mental health needs of children and young people and specialist mental health assessments undertaken within 24 hours or during the next working day where indicated?"
	The guidance recognises that there will be a variety of ways of providing this provision. In most cases it will involve informing possible referral points such as accident and emergency departments, general practice out of hours services, police, of appropriate contact information for on call Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services specialist staff.

Mental Health Services: Finance

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect, in cash terms, on  (a) the budget for mental health services and  (b) funding for mental health research, including joint work between his Department and the university sector of his Department's planned spending reductions; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: No such estimate has been made.
	Decisions on spending on mental health services, in common with other areas of health spending, are made locally by primary care trusts and local authorities. The Department has no plans to reduce current expenditure on mental health research.
	National health service spending is protected from the planned £6.2 billion cuts to Government spending in 2010-11. Decisions on NHS funding beyond 2010-11 will be made during the next spending review this autumn. Health spending is a priority for this Government and we have committed to increase the overall level of health funding in real terms during each year of the current Parliament. We will also identify NHS efficiency savings, which we will reinvest in frontline services.

Mental Health Services: Young People

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to maintain the level of funding of child and adolescent mental health services.

Paul Burstow: Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is funded locally by both the NHS and local authorities.
	We have set out our intention to protect the national health service budget in line with inflation over the course of the next spending review, and NHS funding for CAMHS is within this total. Funding for local government, including that provided for CAMHS will be determined as part of the spending review later this year.

Mobile Phones: Health Hazards

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has evaluated on the effects on human health of use of mobile telephones for more than 30 minutes a day.

Anne Milton: The Health Protection Agency keeps the relevant research publications under continual review through its Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR), and provides advice to Government on health effects of electromagnetic fields from various sources including radiofrequency radiation from mobile phones.
	AGNIR is currently conducting a further comprehensive review of the health risks from radiofrequency radiation, which will take into account findings from the recently published international Interphone study, which reported on mobile phone use and the risk of brain cancer. AGNIR is also considering other relevant research that has been published since its last review in 2003. AGNIR's new review is expected to be completed over the next 12-24 months. Further information is available at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiation/UnderstandingRadiationTopics/ElectromagneticFields/MobilePhones/info_INTERPHONE_agnir/
	The independently managed Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme, jointly funded by Government and industry, has supported a number of studies into the possible health effects of radiofrequency technology, including two studies for the United Kingdom part of the Interphone project. The MTHR programme published its first report in September 2007. The report and details of these and ongoing studies can be found on the MTHR website at:
	www.mthr.org.uk/research_projects/research.htm
	MTHR supports a long term cohort study on mobile phone use and health (COSMOS) which will capture information on patterns of mobile phone use, including call duration, and changes in the frequency of specific symptoms over time, such as headaches and sleep disorders, and also the risks of cancers, benign tumours, neurological and cerebrovascular diseases.

NHS

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for strategic health authorities.

Simon Burns: The coalition agreement made clear that the Government intend to establish a new independent NHS Commissioning Board, to allocate resources and provide commissioning guidelines.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will combine functions currently provided by the Department and strategic health authorities (SHAs), and deliver these in a more streamlined way. The remit of SHAs will change: the NHS Commissioning Board will exercise its functions through regional offices that will report directly to the Chief Executive.
	In the meantime, SHAs will continue to have a vital role in supporting the delivery of financial control and performance, and driving improvements in quality and productivity.

NHS: Public Consultation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to introduce direct elections for members of the boards of primary care trusts.

Simon Burns: Proposals on elections to the boards of primary care trusts will be brought forward in due course.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) mode,  (b) class and  (c) total cost of travel was of his recent visit to Afghanistan.

Andrew Mitchell: On my recent visit to Afghanistan I travelled business class on a return BA commercial flight from London to Bahrain, the total cost of which was £1,839.63. From Bahrain I flew on a return RAF flight to Kabul.

China: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the United Nations Population Fund in promoting non-coercive approaches to family planning in China since October 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: It is a major priority for the UK Government to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods and promoting women's choice, in the developing world.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently reviewing its bilateral and multilateral development assistance, including funding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to ensure effectiveness and value for money.

Departmental Cost-effectiveness

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what mechanisms he plans to use to review value for money in his Department's expenditure.

Andrew Mitchell: We will fundamentally change the way in which we look at the value for money of aid, moving from a focus on inputs to what our money achieves, the outputs and outcomes we secure. We will gain maximum value for money for every pound through greater transparency, rigorous independent evaluation and an unremitting focus on results.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: There is a total of two LCD televisions in ministerial offices in the Department for International Development (DFID). These were purchased in July 2007 and January 2010.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: Details of full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade working in each private office at the Department for International Development (DFID) are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  DFID Minister  DFID grade  Equivalent traditional Civil Service grade  No. members of staff 
			 Secretary of State B2 EO 2 
			  B1(D) Fast Stream 2 
			  A1 G6 1 
			  Deputy Director G5 1 
			 Minister of State C1 AO 1 
			  B2 EO 1 
			  B1 HEO 2 
			  A1 G6 1 
			 Parliamentary Under Secretary of State C1 AO 1 
			  B2 EO 1 
			  B1 HEO 1 
			  A2 G7 1

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Andrew Mitchell: The current interim arrangements for the Department for International Development (DFID) are  (a) three cars and  (b) three drivers allocated to departmental Ministers.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

Andrew Mitchell: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers reiterating transparency commitments made in the coalition programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.

Global School Partnerships

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to continue to support the Global School Partnerships Programme.

Andrew Mitchell: As part of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) wider development awareness work in the UK, the Global School Partnerships Programme is subject to review. A decision on future support to this area of work will be made in due course.

Malawi: Overseas Aid

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid the Government provided to Malawi in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Andrew Mitchell: The amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided to Malawi by the UK Government is published in Statistics on International Development, which is available on the Department for International Development's (DFID's) website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-Intemational-Development-2009/
	In 2008 the UK Government provided £81.4 million in ODA to Malawi. The figure for 2009 has not yet been finalised and will be published later this year.

Niger: Droughts

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the likelihood of drought in Niger in the next six months; and whether he plans to offer assistance to Niger to alleviate the effects of any drought.

Andrew Mitchell: Over 7.1 million people in Niger already face severe or moderate food insecurity following poor rains, harvests and pastures in 2009. The Africa Centre of Meteorological Applications for Development latest forecast is for normal levels of rainfall during the next six months. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) has already provided over £9.5 million to United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations to respond to the most urgent needs in Niger. Our funding will provide food aid to 118,000 people for three months; treat 20,000 children with severe acute malnutrition; provide cash for work or payments to 20,000 households; support 15,000 vulnerable households maintain a minimum number of livestock and provide seeds to more than 81,000 households. An additional £1 million has been provided to strengthen the longer term resilience of communities to future disasters.

Overseas Aid: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to the  (a) International Planned Parenthood Federation and  (b) United Nations Population Fund in each year since 1997.

Andrew Mitchell: Details of the Department for International Development's (DFID's) core unrestricted funding to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in each year since 1997 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   IPPF  UNFPA 
			 1997-98 5 13 
			 1998-99 5.5 13 
			 1999-2000 5.5 15 
			 2000-01 5.5 15 
			 2001-02 4.5 15 
			 2002-03 4.5 15 
			 2003-04 10.5 18 
			 2004-05 6 20 
			 2005-06 0 20 
			 2006-07 7.5 20 
			 2007-08 7.5 20 
			 2008-09 8.6 20 
			 2009-10 8.6 22.06 
		
	
	In addition to this core unrestricted expenditure, payments are made through our country offices to support reproductive and maternal health programmes.
	From 2007 to 2009 a further payment of £4 million was allocated to the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), a trust fund that IPPF manages.
	DFID also supports UNFPA's Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodities with a five year contribution of up to £100 million. DFID's contribution in 2009-10 was £20 million.

Overseas Aid: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department places restrictions on the purposes for which funds allocated to the  (a) International Planned Parenthood Federation and  (b) United Nations Population Fund are used; what guidance his Department has issued to each such organisation on the use of such funds in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: It is a major priority for the UK Government to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to modern family planning methods and promoting women's choice, in the developing world.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID's) funding to International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is unrestricted. Guidance on the use of DFID's funding is contained in a Partnership Programme Arrangement (PPA) which was agreed in 2008. The PPA states that funding is provided in support of reproductive health.
	DFID provides up to £20 million of unrestricted funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) per year. Guidance on how these funds should be used is contained in a Memorandum of Understanding between DFID and UNFPA. Release of funding is subject to progress against targets that relate to the objectives in UNFPA's Strategic Plan.
	In 2008 DFID also agreed to provide £100 million to UNFPA's Global Programme for Reproductive Health Commodity Security (GPRHCS) for the period 2008-13. Guidance in the Memorandum of Understanding between DFID and UNFPA states that this funding can only be used to meet the aims of the GPRHCS.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will visit Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation as a matter of urgency.

Andrew Mitchell: I am extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and hope to visit as soon as possible to assess the conditions for myself.
	Officials from my Department are closely monitoring events on the ground, including through regular visits to Gaza. I also met this week with John Ging, Head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operations on Wednesday 2 June, who briefed me in detail on the current situation.

USA: Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to discuss with the US administration the implications for his Department's policies of its decision to  (a) reinstate the US contribution to the United Nations Population Fund and  (b) rescind the Mexico City policy; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Department for International Development (DFID) officials are in regular contact with their US counterparts about sexual and reproductive health and rights and other health issues, and I have personally spoken to the new USAID Administrator, Dr Rajiv Shah. As my hon. friend will know, this is a particular priority of the Government.
	The UK Government welcome US President Obama's decision of January 2009 to restore funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and to rescind the Mexico City policy.

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of bi-lateral UK assistance to Zimbabwe; and what measures are being taken to ensure such aid is not affected by corruption.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) programme in Zimbabwe has helped deliver Anti-Retroviral Treatment to 58,000 people, provide essential medicines to approximately 1,300 primary care clinics and rural hospitals, and contributed to a programme to give every primary school child access to school materials.
	None of the funds provided by the UK are channelled through the Government of Zimbabwe. DFID works through established partners such as the United Nations and non-governmental organisations.
	In the coming months, I will be reviewing DFID's aid programme in Zimbabwe to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the British taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Housing: Construction

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take in relation to planning the supply of housing in central Oxfordshire.

Bob Neill: We have committed, in the coalition Government document, "The Coalition: our programme for government", that we would radically reform the planning system to give neighbourhoods far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live, based on the principles set out in the Conservative Party publication "Open Source Planning". In terms of planning the supply of housing, we have set out our intention to rapidly abolish regional spatial strategies and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils. We will provide more details on our approach shortly.

Housing: Construction

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he will accept further representations from  (a) local residents and  (b) other interested parties, on planning application 07/00680/OUT at Innsworth, Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: It is not the Secretary of State's intention to accept any further representations from local residents or other interested parties on planning application 07/00680/OUT at Innsworth, Gloucestershire. Representations have in fact already been received. My right hon. Friend will issue his decision on or before 30 June, as advised to all main parties.

Licensed Premises: Planning Permission

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has issued guidance to local planning authorities on their powers to control the flying of national flags outside licensed premises.

Bob Neill: Flags are classified as advertisements and are controlled by local planning authorities, under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Guidance on these Regulations has been issued in CLG Circular 03/2007, available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningand building/circulartown
	No consent or permission is required to fly any country's national flag at any premises provided nothing is added to the design of the flag or to any flagstaff and it complies with the standard conditions that apply to all advertisements.

Local Government Finance

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which grants to local authorities the de-ring-fencing proposals announced on 24 May will apply.

Bob Neill: An announcement on the specific grants that will be de-ring-fenced in 2010-11 will be made shortly.

Local Government: Public Consultation

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances he intends to grant a public right of veto of council tax increases.

Bob Neill: We will give residents the power to veto excessive council tax rises that go above a set threshold. We will set out our proposals on the threshold and the mechanism for initiating a referendum in a consultation document later this year.

Regional Planning and Development

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects of the abolition of regional spatial strategies on the joint core strategies which are being developed by local councils; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all local authority leaders and the Planning Inspectorate confirming the Government's intention to abolish regional strategies and saying that he expects them to have regard to his letter as a material consideration in decisions on applications and local development frameworks, including core strategies. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
	We want local authorities to put local plans in place as soon as possible, including joint plans where appropriate, to provide greater certainty for communities and investors. However authorities may wish to review elements of their local development frameworks in the light of the impending abolition of regional strategies.

JUSTICE

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Crispin Blunt: The current interim arrangements for the Ministry of Justice are  (a) four cars and  (b) four drivers allocated to departmental Ministers. This is supplemented by the use of pool cars as needed.
	The Home Office provides the arrangements in relation to The Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, who also has ministerial responsibilities at the Ministry of Justice.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that:
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements.
	The Ministerial Code is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when and in what form he plans to publish a list of all items of expenditure by his Department over £25,000.

Kenneth Clarke: The Prime Minister has written to Cabinet Ministers(1) reiterating transparency commitments made in the Coalition Programme for Government, and setting out a timetable for achieving them. In particular, all new items of central Government spending over £25,000 will be published online in an open format from November 2010.
	(1) http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/statements-and-articles/2010/05/letter-to-government-departments-on-opening-up-data-51204

Elections: Fraud

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of electoral fraud; and if he will undertake a review of current legislation with a view to restricting on-demand postal and proxy votes.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to tackling electoral fraud by speeding up the introduction of individual electoral registration. This will enhance the accuracy of the register, ensuring that only those entitled to vote are registered.
	Postal and proxy voting, along with all other areas of electoral law, are kept under review. As part of this process, we will carefully consider the findings and any recommendations contained in the reports of the Electoral Commission into the conduct of the recent general election.
	The Government will work closely with the Electoral Commission, police, political parties and returning officers to raise awareness and strengthen systems to ensure that fraud is detected and prosecuted.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken against local authority electoral registration departments that have not achieved registration targets.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	Responsibility for registering electors lies with individual electoral registration officers (EROs) based within local authorities. EROs do not have statutory registration targets in terms of numbers registered, but operate within a performance standards framework.
	Sections 9A and 9B of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 empower the Electoral Commission to set and monitor performance standards for electoral registration officers. As part of this monitoring role, the Commission recently published its second assessment of "The Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain (March 2010)".
	The Government understand that the Commission has committed to contacting all EROs who have fallen below certain criteria to identify the reasons for poor performance and then to develop appropriate methods to ensure improvement.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 88W, on the electoral register, what progress has been made on standardising the wording and layout of rolling registration forms.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have committed to speeding up the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration. We also need to make sure that-for those who are entitled to vote-it is as straightforward as possible to register. As part of that, we will give consideration to whether all electoral registration forms, including a rolling registration form, should be prescribed. In the meantime the design of rolling registration forms under the current system of electoral registration is a matter for Electoral Registration Officers.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the socio-economic profile of citizens who are eligible to be on the electoral register and are not on it.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission in its report "The Completeness and Accuracy of Electoral Registers in Great Britain" published in March 2010 found that case studies confirmed that registration rates were especially low among young people, private renters and those who had recently moved home.
	It found that the highest concentration of under-registration was likely to be in metropolitan areas, smaller towns and cities with large student populations and coastal areas with significant population turnover and high levels of social deprivation.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 4 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1708W, on the electoral register, what the outcomes were of the 2007 financial information survey; and what period elapsed between the survey sampling exercise and the production of the final report.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission has informed me that it will be publishing its report into the cost of electoral administration covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years in early June 2010. The deadline for the survey covering the 2007-08 financial year was 31 July 2008 and that for the 2008-09 financial year was 31 July 2009. After this information was collated, the data were verified, analysed and checked and the findings are to be published shortly. The information will be placed on the Commission's website when it is published.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the effects of functional illiteracy on the ability of people to fill in electoral registration forms; and what steps have been taken to assist functionally illiterate people to register.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not made an assessment on the effects of functional illiteracy on the ability of people to fill in electoral registration forms.
	The Electoral Commission is responsible for guidance for electoral registration officers (EROs). The Commission recommends that the electoral registration office and contact staff are trained to deal with inquiries from people who have low level reading and writing skills and suggests that EROs may want to produce easy-read literature to enable greater understanding of the registration process.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 4 March 2009, what the results were of the pilot data matching schemes under which public authorities will provide registration officers with information to assist them in maintaining an accurate and comprehensive register.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 makes provision for the piloting of data-matching schemes to test which data sets help to maintain the completeness and accuracy of the register. As yet, no pilots have been carried out under this legislation.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to register unregistered voters before the implementation of any review of parliamentary constituency boundaries.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	It is important that all eligible individuals should exercise their democratic right to register and vote. The Government have committed to speed up the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER). We will be considering how the electoral registration system can be improved in that context.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate his Department has made of the effect on the size of the registered electorate of the introduction of individual voter registration.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have committed to speed up the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER). Work is under way to consider how implementation will be carried out.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent personnel were employed in electoral registration departments in each local authority on the latest date for which figures are available.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	I understand from the Electoral Commission that it has collected this information for the 2007-08 financial year only. I also understand that it will be published on the Commission's website alongside its report into the cost of electoral administration, covering the 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial years, which it expects to publish in early June.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which local authorities have achieved the highest increase in levels of voter registration in the last two years; and what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the practices leading to such increases are adopted in other local authorities.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	According to data supplied by the Office for National Statistics, the five local authorities with the highest cumulative increase in levels of voter registration over the last two years were Sheffield city council, Birmingham city council, the London borough of Hackney, Manchester city council and the London borough of Barnet.
	The Electoral Commission provides guidance to electoral registration officers (EROs) in undertaking electoral registration, and sets and monitors performance standards for EROs.
	The Electoral Commission published research on electoral registration and a report on EROs' performance in March 2010: "The Completeness and Accuracy of Electoral Registers in Great Britain"; and the "Report on Performance Standards for Electoral Registration Officers in Great Britain".
	The Government are considering the findings of the reports and the issue of electoral registration as part of the wider context of the move to Individual Electoral Registration in Great Britain.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will commission research on the effects of levels of functional illiteracy on electoral registration rates.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have no current plans to commission such research. The Government have committed to accelerate the introduction of individual electoral registration (IER). Work is under way to consider how implementation will be carried out. The design of forms and access issues will clearly be relevant to any changes to the electoral registration system.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 988-89W, on the electoral register, what progress the Office for National Statistics made on publishing figures for the 2008 annual canvass.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published the figures for the 2008 annual canvass in February 2009. The number of parliamentary electors in the UK grew by 111,595 to 45,194,449 and the number of local government electors in the UK grew by 227,374 to 46,147,877.
	In February 2010, the ONS published the figures for the 2009 canvass. The number of parliamentary electors grew by 226,359 to 45,420,808; and the number of local government electors grew by 308,013 to 46,455,890.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 24 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 243-4W, on the "Electoral Register: Fines", which local authorities have initiated proceedings for failure to complete and return an annual registration.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have a statutory duty to maintain a complete and accurate electoral register. It is for individual EROs to decide on what action to take in relation to non-completion of an individual annual canvass form.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department paid electoral registration officers in local government for work on election administration in the last 12 months.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply
	Funding for electoral registration activities is met through the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government. Once these funds are allocated, decisions on how they are utilised are a matter for the local authorities concerned.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people resident in each parliamentary constituency were added to the electoral register in  (a) February,  (b) March and  (c) April 2010.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission has received some information from returning officers about increases to the register ahead of the general election and I understand that it will include such information in its election report, which it expects to publish in July.

Fathers4Justice

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to meet representatives of the Fathers 4 Justice campaign.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government welcome opportunities for constructive dialogue with key interest groups about reform of the family justice system. Ministers will consider meeting requests on an individual basis. A request from Fathers 4 Justice was received on 18 May and is being considered.

General Election 2010

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the name was of each returning officer in the 6 May 2010 general election; what the full-time job was of each; what fee each received for acting as a returning officer; and from which budget those fees were paid.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	A list of the names of each of the returning officers in the 6 May 2010 general election will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	In England and Wales, the Representation of the People Act 1983 provides for the duties of a returning officer in respect of the conduct of the election to be discharged by the electoral registration officer for the constituency as "acting returning officer". Accordingly, in respect of England and Wales, the list referred to above will set out the names of each of the acting returning officers. Details of the full-time employment of those individuals in England and Wales are not held by the Government. In Scotland, the returning officers for the 6 May 2010 general election were all local authority chief executives. In Northern Ireland, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the returning officer for the parliamentary general election.
	The returning officer's fee is calculated in relation to the number of electors in the constituency. The amounts which returning officers receive for the services rendered and expenses incurred in administering UK parliamentary elections are paid from the Consolidated Fund under section 29 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983. The overall maximum amount which a returning officer is entitled to recover is set out in the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officer's Charges) Order 2010. This order also sets out the maximum amount a returning officer may recover in respect of specified services and expenses.
	The order provides different amounts for when a parliamentary election is conducted on its own, or when a parliamentary general election is taken together with the ordinary day of election of councillors in some constituencies in 2010.

General Elections

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will assess the merits of holding the next general election at a weekend.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government will keep under review ways in which the democratic process can be enhanced. We will consider the reports of the Electoral Commission into the conduct of the most recent general election and respond in due course.

Government Departments: Data Protection

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which Minister in his Department has responsibility for policy on data sharing between Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: My noble Friend the Minister of State for Justice (Lord McNally) has ministerial responsibility for policy on data protection, which includes policy on the sharing of personal data between Government Departments.
	While the Ministry of Justice has this policy responsibility, it has no role in relation to individual data sharing initiatives between other Government Departments. Departments-as data controllers for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998-are responsible for ensuring their own compliance with the Act, including how data are shared.

Huntercombe Young Offender Institution

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the timetable is for changes to the future status of Huntercombe Young Offenders Institution; and what consultation he plans to have with  (a) residents local to the institution and  (b) its staff.

Crispin Blunt: The decommissioning of HMYOI Huntercombe has commenced and is taking place over the coming weeks to ensure a safe and smooth transition for the existing prisoner population. A project group has been set up and is meeting to consider the essential work to be completed in the establishment in regard to staffing profiles, budgets, contractual requirements and any structural and physical adjustments deemed necessary prior to re-role as a Category C Male prison at the end of 2010.
	Senior NOMS officials will meet local residents to reassure them about the re-role in the near future. Once final decisions are made in regard to the proposals under discussion, full consultation will take place with all stakeholders, including all staff and local residents.

TREASURY

Annuities

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to reform legislation regarding the compulsory purchase of pension annuities by those aged 75; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government are committed to removing the requirement to purchase a pension annuity by age 75. Further details, including information on when the Government intends to implement these proposals, will follow in due course.

Bank of England

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who holds the capital stock of the Bank of England on behalf of the Government; and what plans he has for a redemption of the 20-year bond issued at the time the Bank was taken into public ownership.

Justine Greening: The entire capital of the Bank is held by the Treasury Solicitor on behalf of HM Treasury.
	There are currently no plans to redeem the bond issued at the time the Bank was taken into public ownership.

Business

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses are registered for VAT.

David Gauke: There are currently 1.94 million VAT registered businesses. Using the turnover threshold of £5.6 million used in the Companies Act 2006 definition of a small business, 1.90 million of these businesses would be classed as small.

Capital Gains Tax

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the Government's proposed changes to capital gains tax, with particular reference to the effect on the housing market; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: We have received a number of representations on the proposals to reform capital gains tax. In line with coalition agreement the Government are seeking ways of taxing non-business capital gains at rates similar or close to those applied to income, with generous exemptions for entrepreneurial business activities.

Child Trust Fund

Kevan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the number of children  (a) in each region,  (b) in each socio-economic group and  (c) nationwide who will be born in the first 12 months after abolition of the child trust fund.

Mark Hoban: To contribute to the reduction of the Budget deficit, the Government intend to reduce and then stop all Government contributions into child trust funds. It is intended that vouchers to open new accounts will no longer be issued for children born from 1 January 2011. Existing accounts will continue to operate as before. From 2011-12 onwards, the funding allocated to disability payments into the child trust funds of disabled children will be redirected to provide additional respite care. Every pound paid into this scheme is an extra pound of public debt. By ending Government payments into the scheme we also save the £5 million annual cost of administering it.
	The Government's current estimates of the number of children per region and nationwide predicted to be born in the 12 months from 1 January 2011 are tabled as follows. Data on numbers per socio-economic group are not available. All figures are Official Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			  Projected population of children born in 2011 by country and region 
			  Region or country  Number (thousand) 
			 North East 30 
			 North West 86 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 66 
			 East Midlands 53 
			 West Midlands 70 
			 East 70 
			 London 126 
			 South East 100 
			 South West 56 
			   
			 England 657 
			 Wales 35 
			 Scotland 58 
			 Northern Ireland 25 
			   
			 United Kingdom 775 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics 2008-based.

Child Trust Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child trust fund accounts at the  (a) standard and  (b) higher rate have been opened in each constituency since the introduction of the fund.

Mark Hoban: Statistical information is published on HM Revenue and Customs' website regarding the Child Trust Fund. The information includes data regarding the initial payments into accounts and account opening data for all Westminster parliamentary constituencies as at November 2008. It can be viewed at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/stats.htm
	Information on the additional payments to children in low income families is also included in these statistics but is not available at constituency level.

Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many separate credit unions are registered in each  (a) London borough and  (b) region.

Mark Hoban: Statistics for individual London boroughs are not available, but I can provide the following:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Greater London 42 
			 East Midlands 21 
			 East of England 32 
			 North East 43 
			 North West 85 
			 South East 16 
			 South West 41 
			 West Midlands 45 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 38 
			 England 363 
			 Wales 28 
			 Scotland 117 
			 Northern Ireland 182

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) plasma and  (b) LCD televisions there are in Ministerial offices in his Department.

Justine Greening: There is one plasma and eight LCD televisions currently in use in Ministers' private offices at 1 Horse Guards road.

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent staff at each Civil Service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Justine Greening: The following table gives details of the total number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in the private offices of each Treasury Minister as at 27 May 2010, by civil service equivalent pay grade.
	
		
			  Office  Pay grade  FTE 
			 Chancellor of the Exchequer AO 3 
			  EO 3 
			  HEO/SEO 2 
			  Grade 6/7 2 
			  SCS 1 
			
			 Chief Secretary to the Treasury AO 3 
			  EO 1 
			  HEO/SEO 3 
			  Grade 6/7 1 
			
			 Commercial Secretary to the Treasury AO 1 
			  EO 1 
			  HEO/SEO 1 
			  Grade 6/7 1 
			
			 Economic Secretary to the Treasury AO 1 
			  EO 1 
			  HEO/SEO 2 
			  Grade 6/7 1 
			
			 Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury AO 1 
			  EO 1 
			  HEO/SEO 2 
			  Grade 6/7 1 
			
			 Financial Secretary to the Treasury AO 1 
			  EO 1 
			  HEO/SEO 2 
			  Grade 6/7 1

Economic Growth

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to increase economic growth.

David Gauke: The Government are taking action to support enterprise and create a fair, competitive, and efficient tax system in order to deliver the private-sector led recovery that will be the foundation of future growth. Fundamental to this strategy will be tackling the budget deficit and providing a stable macroeconomic environment that will underpin private-sector investment and growth.
	Further details of the action the Government will take to secure the UK's future growth will be included in the Emergency Budget on 22 June 2010.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Financial Services Ombudsman cases went to judicial review in each of the last three years; and in how many such cases the complaint was upheld.

Mark Hoban: The table shows the number of applications for judicial review (JR) against the Financial Ombudsman Service in the last three years. None of the cases succeeded.
	
		
			   Cases resolved  JR applications 
			 2007-08 99,699 13 
			 2008-09 113,949 6 
			 2009-10 166,321 10

Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), what assessment he made of effects on the economy of allowing devolved administrations to defer their share of savings until the next financial year; and for what reasons central Government departments were not allowed to defer their allocated savings.

Danny Alexander: The Government's top priority is to tackle the deficit. Tackling the deficit this year will promote confidence and support the economic recovery. Since budgets have already been set for devolved administrations it is for them to assess whether they wish to defer their share of the savings until next year.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his announcement of 24 May 2010, if he will list the identifiable non-devolved public expenditure savings for Wales.

Danny Alexander: On 24 May the Government announced the Welsh Assembly Government's share of the £6.2 billion savings, which was £187 million together with consequential or recycled savings amounting to £24 million.
	It is for the Welsh Assembly Government to decide whether to defer the savings until next year.
	Any savings impacting on Wales in respect of savings made by Government Departments in non-devolved areas of spending are a matter for the relevant Government Departments to decide.

Public Finance

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the budget deficit.

Justine Greening: The Coalition Agreement states that
	"deficit reduction, and continuing to ensure economic recovery, is the most urgent issue facing Britain".
	The Chancellor has announced the first step in tackling the deficit, setting out details of how to save over £6 billion from spending during this financial year, the fastest and most collegiate spending review in recent history.
	These savings have been found by cutting waste and low value programmes across Government. The majority of these savings will be used to reduce the deficit this year.
	At the Emergency Budget on 22 June, the Chancellor will set out a comprehensive plan to accelerate reduction of the UK's deficit over the course of this Parliament.

Public Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanism he intends to use to share data with the Bank of England in respect of its role in advising on budgets and public spending reductions in 2010-11; and what data his Department intends to provide.

Mark Hoban: The Governor of the Bank of England and the Chancellor discuss economic and financial developments on a regular basis.
	In addition, the Bank of England Act 1998, which sets out the role and composition of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), provides that:
	"A representative of the Treasury may attend, and speak, at any meeting of the Committee".
	The non-voting Treasury representative plays a key role in liaison between the Treasury and the Bank to ensure appropriate co-ordination of fiscal and monetary policy. For example, the Treasury representative will brief the MPC confidentially in advance of major events such as the Budget and the pre-Budget report.

Tax Avoidance

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects his Department's review of IR35 to be completed.

David Gauke: The Government intend to review IR35 as part of a wholesale review of small business taxation. Further details will be announced in due course.

Taxation: Business

Richard Harrington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to assist businesses to become more competitive through reform of the corporate tax system.

David Gauke: The coalition agreement sets out the Government's aim to,
	"reform the corporate tax system by simplifying reliefs and allowances, and tackling avoidance, in order to reduce headline rates. Our aim is to create the most competitive tax regime in the G20, while protecting manufacturing industries."
	Further announcements will be made by the Chancellor through the Budget process.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to implement the proposed changes of taxation rates for furnished holiday letting properties in April 2011.

David Gauke: The Government have committed to take measures to satisfy their EU treaty obligations in regard to the taxation of furnished holiday letting that do not penalise UK-based businesses. We are considering how best to deliver that commitment. In the meantime the existing furnished holiday lettings rules will continue to apply.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Constituencies

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what average population for each parliamentary constituency he plans to propose; and on what basis this figure will be determined.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have announced that legislation will be introduced to provide for the introduction of the alternative vote in the event of a positive result in the referendum, and the creation of fewer and more equal sized constituencies. Further details will be announced in due course.

Electoral Systems

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change the voting system for elections to the House of Commons; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	As indicated in the Gracious Speech, the Government will shortly bring forward legislation providing for a national referendum on the alternative vote system for future elections to the House of Commons, and measures to create fewer and more equal sized constituencies.
	The Government will announce further details of how it intends to take forward this commitment in due course.

House of Lords: Reform

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what his proposals are for the  (a) scrutiny and  (b) legislative role of a reformed second chamber;
	(2)  what proposals he is considering for the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum membership of any reformed second chamber.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	These important issues will be considered by the Committee which will be established to bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected second chamber.

Lobbying

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce a statutory code for lobbyists.

Mark Harper: I have been asked to reply.
	We have no current plans to introduce a statutory code for lobbyists.

CABINET OFFICE

Average Earnings: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether an estimate has been made of the average earnings of full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April of each year since 2000.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking whether an estimate has been made of the average earnings of full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April of each year since 2000. (1114)
	The Office for National Statistics carries out the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) each April. This is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. Levels of earnings are estimated from ASHE and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay, whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence.
	I attach a table showing the median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees in Pendle constituency for April of each year from 2000 until 2009, the latest period for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Median gross weekly earnings (£)-for full-time employee jobs( 1) : Pendle Constituency 
			   £/week  CV 
			 2000 344 * 
			 2001 323 * 
			 2002 321 * 
			 2003 318 * 
			 2004(2) 340 * 
			 2004(3) 339 * 
			 2005 376 * 
			 2006(4) 382 * 
			 2006(5) 382 * 
			 2007 389 * 
			 2008 420 * 
			 2009 383 * 
			 (1) Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. As at April of each year. (2 )2004 results excluding supplementary survey for comparison with 2003 (3) 2004 results including supplementary survey designed to improve coverage of the survey (for more information see National Statistics website) www.statistics.gov.uk (4) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2005 (5) 2006 results with methodology consistent with 2007  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5%, we would expect the population average to be within the range 180-220.  Key: * CV > 5% and < = 10%  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Office for National Statistics. 2000 to 2009

Business

Brian Binley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses generated a turnover of  (a) between £70,000 and £100,000 and  (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses generated a turnover of between (a) £70,000 and £100,000 and (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business counts are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at www.statistics.gov.uk. The attached table contains data from 2009 and shows the count of VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises by employee and turnover size band.
	
		
			  Count of VAT or PAYE enterprises by employee and turnover size 
			   Turnover size band (£000) 
			  Employee size band  0 to 69  70 to 99  100  Total 
			 Small 0 to 49 583,695 320,565 1,206,305 2,110,565

Charities: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many organisations based in the London Borough of Bexley have been granted charitable status.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind dated 27 May 2010:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question (459) how many organisations based in the London Borough of Bexley have been granted charitable status.
	Organisations are automatically considered to be charities if their activities benefit the public in a way the law agrees is charitable. Most charities with an annual income of over £5,000 have to register with the Charity Commission.
	I can confirm that there are 373 registered charities in Bexley.
	I hope this is a helpful response to your question.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what percentage of invoices from suppliers to the Prime Minister's Office were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office, and the answer provided is therefore for the whole of the Cabinet Office.
	In March and April 2010 respectively, 97.9% and 91.6% of compliant invoices were paid by the Cabinet Office within 10 days of receipt.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether mobile telephones issued to staff in  (a) 10 Downing Street and  (b) the Cabinet Office are issued with factory setting security codes;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure that voicemail accounts associated with mobile telephones issued to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in (i) 10 Downing Street and (ii) the Cabinet Office cannot be accessed without appropriate authorisation.

Francis Maude: Cabinet Office does not currently issue mobile telephones with the factory loaded security setting to staff in  (a) 10 Downing street and  (b) the Cabinet Office. When issuing mobile devices they are reset manually by our telecoms specialists before they are given to staff.
	Cabinet Office currently provides default security for voicemail retrieval on mobile telephones for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in (i) 10 Downing street and (ii) the Cabinet Office. Only the registered handset can retrieve access to the associated voice mailbox and in the event of a lost/stolen handset the mobile telephone is cancelled. The registered user has the option to upgrade the security settings for voicemail retrieval by adding a personal PIN number to enhance the security. This is encouraged.

EcovertFM

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Minister in his Department has lead responsibility for monitoring his Department's contract with EcovertFM.

Francis Maude: As Minister for the Cabinet Office I am responsible for monitoring the EcovertFM contract.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimated percentage of electors are registered in each parliamentary constituency in the UK.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, 1 have been asked to reply to your question asking what estimated percentage of electors are registered in each parliamentary constituency in the UK (165).
	The table shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over for each parliamentary constituency in the UK for 2007. This is the latest year for which estimates of the usually resident population are available by parliamentary constituency for the UK. A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This percentage is the nearest approximation to the percentage registered to vote that can be provided but is not an electoral registration rate. This is because the estimated resident population is not the same as the population who are eligible to vote. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident overseas (who are not included in the UK resident population) and excludes foreign citizens from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland resident within the UK (who are included in the estimated resident population).
	In addition, figures for the registered electorate may be inflated because people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This may lead to percentages of over one hundred per cent and can affect the comparability of figures across parliamentary constituencies.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the electorate was in each year since 1997 in the 100 parliamentary seats which have had the largest decrease in the number of electors on the register since that date.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the electorate was in each year since 1997 in the 100 parliamentary seats which have had the largest decrease in the number of electors on the register since that date (179).
	The following table shows the number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections from 1997 to 2008, for the 100 parliamentary constituencies with the largest decrease in the number of people registered to vote over that time period. This is the latest year for which comparable data are available. A copy of the table has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The table covers only parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales. There are no Northern Ireland constituencies which fit the criteria. Figures have not been provided for Scotland as boundary changes which came into effect in 2004 mean that electoral registration figures will not be comparable across this time period.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the electoral registration rate is for each region of the UK.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated May 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what the electoral registration rate is for each region of the UK (245).
	The attached table shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over for each region in England, and UK constituent country, for 2008. This is the latest year for which electoral estimates by parliamentary constituency are available for the UK.
	This percentage is the nearest approximation to the percentage registered to vote that can be provided but is not an electoral registration rate. This is because the estimated resident population is not the same as the population who are eligible to vote. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident overseas (who are not included in the UK resident population) and excludes foreign citizens from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland resident within the UK (who are included in the estimated resident population).
	In addition, figures for the registered electorate may be inflated because people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This can affect the comparability of figures across parliamentary constituencies and potentially regions.
	
		
			  Electoral registration percentage rates for each region in England and UK constituent country in 2008( 1) 
			  Area  Percentage rate 
			 England 94 
			   
			 North East 96 
			 North West 97 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 92 
			 East Midlands 95 
			 West Midlands 96 
			 East 94 
			 London 85 
			 South East 95 
			 South West 96 
			   
			 Wales 96 
			   
			 Scotland 94 
			 Northern Ireland 85 
			 (1) The rates have been calculated using the mid-2008 population estimates of those aged 18 and above, and the number of people registered to vote in parliamentary elections on 1 December 2008.  Source: Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland and Electoral Office for Northern Ireland

Lobbying

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will review the Government's response to the First Report of the Public Administration Select Committee, Session 2008-09, on lobbying: Access and Influence in Whitehall, HC 36, for the purposes of implementing in full the Committee's recommendations.

Mark Harper: Many of the proposals in the Committee's report have been implemented. This Government will introduce a statutory register of lobbyists. We see no compelling reason to review the Government's response to the report.

Manufacturing Industries

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in  (a) Lancashire,  (b) the North West and  (c) England (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated June 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West and (c) England (i) in 1997 and (ii) at the latest date for which figures arc available. (1032)
	Table 1, attached, shows the number of people employed in the manufacturing sector resident in (a) Lancashire, (b) the North West and (c) England for the 12 month periods ending February 1998, and September 2009 which is the latest period for which figures are available. These estimates are derived from the Annual Population Survey which collects employment data by residence rather than by workplace.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people employed in the manufacturing sector resident in Lancashire, north west and England. 
			  Thousands 
			   For the 12 month period ending 
			   February 2008  September 2009( 1) 
			 England 4,173 *2,682 
			 Northwest 616 *396 
			 Lancashire 118 ** 79 
			 (1) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV-for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 ≤ CV<5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Population Survey and Annual Labour Force Survey

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many  (a) political appointments and  (b) other personal appointments he has made since his appointment; and at what estimated annual cost to the public purse;
	(2)  how many special advisers are based in  (a) 10 Downing Street,  (b) the Cabinet Office and  (c) the Deputy Prime Minister's office.

David Anderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the name is of each special adviser assigned to work with each Minister.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

William Cash: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what occasions the Office for National Statistics received representations on the cost to the public purse of nuclear decommissioning as a proportion of net public sector  (a) borrowing and  (b) debt in each of the last two years; from whom each such representation was received; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that Office's response in each case.

Francis Maude: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking on what occasions the Office for National Statistics received representations on the cost to the public purse of nuclear decommissioning as a proportion of net public sector (a) borrowing and (b) debt in each of the last two years; from whom each such representation was received. (1195)
	ONS produces the United Kingdom's National Accounts. The National Accounts are an internationally comparable accounting framework that describes the activities in a national economy, including the transactions that take place between sectors of that economy. The relevant international manuals are the System of National Accounts 1993(SNA93) and the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA95) in particular.
	As part of the process of producing the National Accounts, ONS decides on the classification of institutions and transactions within the economy. This well-established process is published on the ONS website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/national_statistics/cop/downloads/NAclassification.pdf
	Over recent years, ONS has investigated the classification of a number of bodies related to the Nuclear Industry, and have classified the major bodies related to the decommissioning process-The Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA), the Nuclear Generation Decommissioning Fund Ltd (NGDF) and its successor body the Nuclear Liabilities Fund Trust Company (NLF) as public sector bodies.
	This will mean the costs of decommissioning borne by these bodies will be recorded within the public sector accounts. The cost of future decommissioning is a contingent liability and as such is outside the definitions of public sector net debt. Under current decommissioning arrangements, the expenditure on actual decommissioning will impact on public sector net borrowing at the time it occurs.
	These classification decisions were taken during 2007 in the case of the NDA, and during 2003/4 in the case of the NGDF and NLF.
	The decisions were taken independently by ONS and approved by the National Accounts Classification Committee (or its predecessor the Public Sector Classifications Committee). ONS has received no representations in the last two years on this subject.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aimhigher Programme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his plans are for the AimHigher programme.

David Willetts: holding answer 2 June 2010
	The need to attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education is written into the coalition agreement. The Government are clear about the need to make sure all spending is well targeted and properly evaluated. In respect of higher education funding, we will await Lord Browne's final report and judge its proposals against the criteria set out in the coalition agreement.

Aimhigher Programme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has allocated to the AimHigher programme  (a) nationally and  (b) in the West Midlands for 2010-11.

David Willetts: holding answer 2 June 2010
	In the 2010-11 financial year, £87 million has been allocated to Aimhigher nationally(1, 2).
	(1) This includes £9 million allocated to Aimhigher Associates.
	(2) This includes £29 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and £0.6 million from the Department for Health
	Of this, £10.4 million has been allocated to Aimhigher partnerships in the West Midlands.

Beer

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the change in the number of jobs in the UK dependent on the pubs and beer industry in the last 30 months.

Mark Prisk: An estimate of the number and change in jobs in Great Britain (GB) in the pubs and beer industry over the last 30 months, between June 2007 and December 2009, is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Thousand 
			  Jobs in the pubs and beer industries, GB  June 2007  December 2009  30 month change 
			 Manufacture of beer(1) 14.1 12.9 -1.1 
			 Wholesale of wine, beer, spirits and other alcoholic beverages(1, 2) 19.3 18.8 -0.5 
			 Retail sale of alcoholic and other beverages in specialised stores(1, 3, 4) 29.1 24.7 -4.4 
			 Bars and licensed clubs(5) 536.4 500.9 -35.5 
			 (1) Estimate includes an adjustment derived from the Annual Business Inquiry. (2) Includes non-beer alcoholic beverages. (3) Includes non-beer alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. (4) Excludes sale and related jobs in supermarkets and other non-specialised stores. (5 )Excludes sale and related jobs in other licence premises such as restaurants and hotels.  Source: Employee jobs data, ONS

Business: Reading Berkshire

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assistance the South East Regional Development Agency provided to businesses in Reading East constituency during the economic downturn.

Mark Prisk: The South East Development Agency (SEEDA) provided the strategic lead for the response to the economic downturn across the South East.
	In the summer of 2008 SEEDA reprioritised its budget to support services to businesses to help them out of the recession. It put together a £15 million rapid response rescue package, including a £3 million transition loan fund, an enhanced Business Link service, expanded grants for business investment and extra help for exporters.
	During the economic downturn (covering the period between 1 April 2008 and 31 December 2009) SEEDA provided assistance to over three hundred businesses in the Reading East constituency:
	270 businesses received intensive assistance via Business Link services;
	11 companies received assistance via the Manufacturing Advisory Service;
	Three businesses received support via the Designing Demand service;
	Eight internally-owned businesses were assisted to establish their first operation in Reading East or to expand an existing one;
	Nine businesses were supported via the Innovation and Growth Team;
	Three businesses received assistance in accessing finance through Finance South East services.
	Businesses based in the Reading East constituency also received assistance via SEEDA programmes operating in wider-Berkshire, such as the Continuing Employment Support Service.
	More detailed information can be found in the SEEDA-produced background information.

Business: Reading Berkshire

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with which business organisations in  (a) Reading East constituency and  (b) Berkshire his Department has held discussions in the last 12 months.

Mark Prisk: In the last 12 months, representatives from SEEDA and GOSE have maintained ongoing engagement with key business organisations in Berkshire and the Reading East constituency on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills by:
	(i) attending meeting of the Berkshire Economic Strategy Board, which is a cross Berkshire board made up of representatives from both the private and public sector, responsible for delivering the Regional Economic Strategy across Berkshire;
	(ii) meeting with representatives from the Reading Community Interest Company, which is responsible for Economic Development in Reading; and
	(iii) engaging in the Reading Diamond for Investment and Growth, which was defined by the South East Regional Economic Strategy as a significant, urban functional area with the potential to act as a catalyst for wider prosperity.

Business: Regulation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanisms he plans to implement his proposals to give the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations.

Mark Prisk: We are committed to giving the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations, thus putting power back in the hands of businesses and citizens, making regulations less complicated and boosting enterprise by cutting red tape. We are working to develop innovative and practical ways for individuals, business and others to have their say on regulation. I will make a statement to the House with more details in due course.

Business: Regulation

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which regulations he has identified as primary candidates for abolition under the one in-one out rule for business regulations.

Mark Prisk: The 'one-in, one-out' rule will change the incentives for policy makers across Government, encouraging as much focus on identifying regulations to be repealed, simplified or replaced by alternative policy approaches, as on developing new regulation.
	Responsible Departments will take forward the identification of regulations that can be removed or simplified. All relevant regulations are within scope.

Business: Regulation

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanism he plans to implement his proposal to give the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations.

Mark Prisk: We are committed to giving the public the opportunity to challenge the worst regulations, thus putting power back in the hands of businesses and citizens, making regulations less complicated and boosting enterprise by cutting red tape. We are working to develop innovative and practical ways for individuals, business and others to have their say on regulation. I will make a statement to the House with more details in due course.

Credit Cards: Interest Rates

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to implement proposals to enable regulatory bodies to  (a) define and  (b) prohibit excessive interest rates on credit and store cards.

Edward Davey: The Government's proposals to prohibit excessive rates on credit and store cards are one of a number of consumer protection commitments included in the coalition agreement, including our plans to introduce a cooling off period for store cards.
	I will be setting out detailed plans on how the Government will be taking these commitments forward shortly.

Departmental Billing

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of invoices from suppliers to his Department were paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) March and  (b) April 2010.

Edward Davey: In March and April 2010 respectively, 97.5% and 93.2% of invoices were paid by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) within 10 days.
	The results are published on the BIS website and can be accessed via the following link
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/About/procurement/prompt-payment/bis-payment-performance

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff at each civil service grade are employed in the private office of each Minister in his Department.

Edward Davey: Staff are currently allocated as follows although because the Department now has fewer Ministers these allocations are not yet final.
	
		
			   SCS  G7  SEO  HEO/FS  EO and below  Total 
			 Dr Vince Cable MP 1 1 1 2 1 6 
			 David Willetts MP - 1 - 3 1 5 
			 Mark Prisk MP - 1 - 2 3 6 
			 John Hayes MP - - 1 - 3 4 
			 Edward Davey MP - - - 2 3 5 
			 Baroness Wilcox - - - 2 2 4

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many special advisers  (a) he and  (b) each named Minister in his Department (i) has appointed to date and (ii) plans to appoint.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column reference 99W.

Departmental Official Cars

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Government  (a) cars and  (b) drivers are allocated to Ministers in his Department.

Edward Davey: BIS Ministers inherited cars and drivers allocated to previous departmental Ministers.
	The new Ministerial Code, published on 21 May, contains changes that affect ministerial entitlement to travel by Government car. It states that
	"the number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed".
	The Department for Transport and its Government Car and Despatch Agency are working with Departments to effect the transition to the new arrangements. The Secretary of State will use a pool car and will not have an allocated car or driver. Arrangements are being made to put this into effect in an orderly way.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May, is available on the Cabinet Office website.

Departmental Redundancy Pay

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for  (a) front-line and  (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has at present no plans for compulsory redundancies and has therefore made no estimate of new costs. The forecast legacy costs of previous exit schemes (both compulsory and voluntary) is estimated at £6.1 million in 2010-11.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 May 2010, UIN 628 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House is a Trading Fund and Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Companies House has not budgeted for any redundancy costs; however, as a Trading Fund any costs would be met by fees from our customers and would represent no cost to the public purse.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 27 May 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question regarding what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost to his Department of redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills had no annual cost for redundancy payments for (a) front line and (b) other staff employed in the last financial year 2009/10.
	Surplus staff were identified during 2009/10 but we were able to absorb them elsewhere within The Service by the release of temporary workers.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 2 June 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 26 May 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is a Trading Fund and Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The IPO has not budgeted for any redundancy costs; however as a Trading Fund any costs would be met by fees from users and would represent no cost to the public purse.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 1 June 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 May to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking about estimates of the annual cost of redundancy payments for staff employed by the Department and its Agencies.
	The cost to the Agency of any redundancy or other exit payments this year will be disclosed in its Annual Report and Accounts of 2010/11. As matters stand, however, we do not envisage having to make such payments during the current year.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 2 June 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 26 May, to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning annual costs of redundancy payments for the Department and its agencies (UIN 628).
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 01 April 2010. As a new agency, we are currently looking at the implications of the recent announcements and the impact on the future shape of the organisation.
	The cost to the agency of any redundancy and other exit payments this financial year will be disclosed in the accounts for 2010/11, which will be published online in 2011.

Higher Education: Finance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the planned reduction in previously planned expenditure for 2010-11 is for each university in the North East.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Funding Council for England announced provisional allocations to institutions for academic year 2010-11 on 18 March 2010. As in previous years, final allocations taking into account any further changes will be announced in July this year.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of student places in universities in the West Midlands between academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11.

David Willetts: holding answer 2 June 2010
	 The number of students in each institution will depend upon the recruitment decisions taken by individual institutions. However, we are making available funding for an additional 10,000 places in academic year 2010/11 which will be allocated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column 43W, on One North East, 
	(1)  what arrangements he plans to put in place to establish local enterprise partnerships on a (i) local, (ii) sub-regional and (iii) regional basis;
	(2)  how many local economic partnerships he expects to be created in the North East region to replace One North East.

Mark Prisk: The Government will provide further detail on the future of the regional development agencies and how we propose to take forward our proposals for local enterprise partnerships shortly.

Motor Industry: Finance

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Ford on the provision of Government loans and guarantees to that company;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with GM on the provision of Government loans and guarantees to that company;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with Nissan on the provision of Government loans and guarantees to that company.

Mark Prisk: I have spoken to Ford, General Motors/Vauxhall and Nissan in the past week about a range of issues. Government are reviewing commitments made since 1 January 2010, including to these three companies. Where projects are good value for money and consistent with Government's priorities, they will go ahead. We have asked HM Treasury to fast track a decision to give clarity as soon as possible to the companies and their work forces.

Post Offices

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Post Office branches closed between 1997 and 2010; and what his policy is on the future of the Post Office network.

Edward Davey: The Department does not hold the information requested on post office closures. I have asked David Smith, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd., to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.
	As set out in "The Coalition: our programme for government" we will ensure that post offices are allowed to offer a wide range of services in order to sustain the network, and we will be working with Post Office Ltd. to develop new sources of revenue, including considering the case for a Post Office Bank.

Regional Development Agencies

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanism he will assess whether a regional development agency is popular.

Mark Prisk: The Government will provide further detail on the future of the regional development agencies and how we propose to take forward our proposals for local enterprise partnerships shortly.

Regional Development Agencies

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future operation of schemes  (a) contracted and  (b) commenced by regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: The regional development agencies have been allocated budgets for 2010-11 and are continuing to deliver schemes in line with their priorities. The Government will provide further detail on the future of the regional development agencies and how we propose to take forward our proposals for local enterprise partnerships shortly.

Regional Development Agencies

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of Advantage West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government will provide further detail on the future of the regional development agencies and how we propose to take forward our proposals for local enterprise partnerships shortly.

Summertime

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals for the introduction of British Summer Time and Double British Summer Time for a trial period.

Edward Davey: We are aware that there are a range of views on this subject. While the Government do not propose to change current arrangements, we continue to listen to representations we receive and consider any evidence presented to us.

Summertime

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the merits of introducing British Summer Time and Double British Summer Time; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The Government have no current plans to commission a review of the existing arrangements but will continue to listen to arguments for and against change.

Supermarkets: Competition

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to  (a) bring forward and  (b) implement proposals for an Ombudsman in the Office of Fair Trading to enforce the Grocery Supply Chain Code of Practice.

Edward Davey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George) and the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) on 2 June 2010,  Official Report, column reference 44W.